7 

' 


UNIX.  OF  CALIF.  LIBRARY,  LOS  ANGELES 


THE  FOUR  CORNERS 


**  THE  FOUR 
CORNERS 

BY 

AMY  E.BLANCHARD 


Phtla-deJpKia.  ^  London. 
George  W  Jacobs  fy  Cotnpanij 


"4,  *.* 


Copyright,  1906, 

Bv  GEORGE  W.  JACOBS  &  COMPANY 
Published  August,  1906 


All  rights  reserved 


CONTENTS 

I.  A  NEW  SONG         .  9 

II.  THE  FAIRY  GODMOTHER         .         .         .27 

III.  NAN'S  SECRET       .....       45 

IV.  A  MOTHER'S  SECRET      ....       65 
V.  HOUSEWIFELY  CARES     ....       85 

VI.  CONCERNING  JACK         .         .         .         .105 

VII.  A  TOURNAMENT  WITH  PETE  .        .        .129 

VIII.  THE  SUNSET-TREE         .        .         .         .147 

IX.  IMPRISONMENT       .         .         .         .         .165 

X.  THE  RED  CLOTH  .         .         .         ,         .183 

XL  GRANDMOTHER      .         .         .   '     .  199 

XII.  NUTS 217 

XIII.  TROUBLE  FINDS  THEM  ....     235 

XIV.  DANIELLA     .         .         .         .         .         -253 
XV.  SACRIFICES    .         .         .         .         .         .271 

XVI.  PARTY  FROCKS       .         .         .         .         .291 

XVII.  CHRISTMAS  GIFTS  .         .         .         .         -311 

XVIII.  AN  EVENING  OF  Music  ....     333 

XIX.  FIRE! 353 

XX.  LOOKING  AHEAD 371 


2125597 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

It  was  a  most  delectable  piece  of  cook- 
ery when  it  was  done  .         .         .          Frontispiece 

She  seated  herself  before  her  log-piano 

and  began  her  song     .         .         .  Facing  page    38 

The  Tournament        .         .        .  "        "      140 

She  gave  a  bound  from  Nan's  arms     .       "        "      180 

Such   an  oh-ing  and  ah-ing  as  came 

from  the  four  delighted  girls        .       "        "      304 


CHAPTER  I 
A  NEW  SONG 


CHAPTER  I 
A  NEW  SONG 

THE  town  itself  was  one  that  stood  at  the  foot  of 
Virginia's  blue  mountains.  The  house  where  the 
Corners  lived  was  on  the  edge  of  the  town,  facing 
a  street  which  ended  at  the  front  gate.  At  the  side 
of  the  garden  another  long  street  wound  its  way 
uphill  and  was  called  the  old  County  Road  when  it 
began  to  go  down  grade.  The  house  was  a  ram- 
bling old  affair  which  had  not  been  painted  for 
some  years  and  was,  therefore,  of  an  indescribable 
hue.  One  wing  was  shut  up,  but  the  remainder  was 
made  excellent  use  of  by  four  lively  girls,  of  whom 
the  eldest  was  Nancy  Weston.  She  was  variously 
known  as  Nan,  Nance  or  Nannie,  though  she 
greatly  preferred  Nannette  and  sometimes  stealthily 
signed  herself  so.  When  she  was,  as  her  Cousin 
Phil  expressed  it,  "on  the  bias,"  he  often  delighted 
to  tease  her  by  calling  her  Sharp  Corner,  but  her 
Aunt  Sarah  often  declared  that  West  Corner  suited 
her  perfectly  since  from  that  quarter  sprang  up  the 
briskest,  as  well  as  the  most  agreeable,  of  breezes. 

Next  to  Nan  came  Mary  Lee.  She  was  always 
called  by  both  names  as  is  a  Virginia  custom.  After 


12  The  Four  Corners 

Mary  Lee  came  Jacqueline,  or  Jack  as  she  was 
called,  and  her  twin  sister,  Jean.  Mary  Lee  was 
very  unlike  Nan,  and  though  there  was  less  than 
two  years  difference  in  their  ages,  she  seemed  the 
older  of  the  two.  She  was  less  impetuous,  more 
quiet  and  reserved,  though  more  self-absorbed  and 
less  thoughtful  for  others.  Neither  was  she  so 
original  as  Nan  and  generally  followed  some  one's 
lead,  most  frequently  that  of  her  Cousin  Phil  Lewis 
who  was  her  special  comrade,  for  Mary  Lee  adored 
open-air  sports,  especially  boyish  ones.  Nan  liked 
these  intermittently,  though  when  she  did  enter 
into  them  she  was  liable  to  be  more  daring  and 
impetuous  than  her  sister. 

Phil  lived  scarce  a  block  away  and,  since  the 
confines  of  his  own  dooryard  were  limited,  he 
preferred  to  spend  much  of  his  time  within  the 
larger  range  of  his  cousins'  three  acres.  He  and 
Mary  Lee  were  about  the  same  age  and  had  many 
tastes  in  common;  both  were  devoted  to  animals, 
and  had  a  tendency  to  fads  over  which  they  be- 
came very  enthusiastic  for  the  time  being.  Phil 
was  a  wiry,  dark,  little  fellow  quite  Mary  Lee's  op- 
posite, she  being  fair-haired  and  blue-eyed  with  a 
slow  drawl  in  speaking.  Nan  spoke  more  nerv- 
ously when  she  was  excited,  though  she,  too,  spoke 
with  a  lingering  accent  upon  certain  words.  Nan's 


A  New  Song  13 

eyes  were  sometimes  a  grayish  blue,  sometimes 
almost  a  hazel,  and  at  times  showed  the  color  of 
deep  and  tranquil  pools  of  water,  an  indescribable 
hue.  Their  expression  changed  as  did  their  color 
and  when  languidly  drooped  under  their  long  dark 
lashes,  seemed  those  of  a  sentimental  romantic 
maid,  but,  when  in  moments  of  excitement,  Nan 
opened  them  wide,  they  glowed  like  two  stars.  Her 
eyes  were  Nan's  best  feature.  She  did  not  possess 
a  straight  nose  like  Mary  Lee's  nor  such  a  rosebud  of 
a  mouth,  but  her  flashing  smile  showed  even,  white 
little  teeth,  and  the  oval  of  her  face  was  perfect. 

The  twins  were  much  alike  in  coloring  and 
feature,  but  in  expression  were  so  different  that 
even  the  most  casual  observer  could  not  fail  to 
distinguish  Jack  from  Jean.  They  had  blue  eyes 
like  Mary  Lee  but  were  dark-haired  like  Nan.  Jack 
was,  as  Aunt  Sarah  Dent  expressed  it,  "a  pickle." 
She  had  a  dreamy  pathetic  countenance  and  wore  a 
saintly  expression  when  she  was  plotting  her  worst 
mischief.  At  her  best  she  was  angelic;  at  her 
worst  she  was  impish,  and  just  how  she  would 
eventually  turn  out  no  one  could  foretell. 

Jean  was  a  sweet-tempered,  affectionate  child, 
gentle  and  obedient.  Once  in  a  while  it  seemed  as 
if  she  felt  it  a  duty  to  be  naughty,  but  the  naughti- 
ness was  always  as  if  it  were  a  pretense,  and  was 


14  The  Four  Corners 

more  of  a  bluster  than  an  exhibition  of  actual 
original  sin.  "There  is  no  mistake  that  Jack  is 
full  of  the  old  Adam,"  Aunt  Sarah  was  wont  to  de- 
clare, "  but  Jean  always  acts  to  me  as  if  she  wasn't 
quite  sure  that  she  ought  to  be  human." 

Nan  was  overflowing  with  sentiment,  a  lover  of 
music,  books,  and  pictures,  yet  liking  nothing 
better  than  to  whirl  in  and  help  in  domestic 
emergencies.  She  had  much  inventive  and  me- 
chanical talent  which  most  of  the  others  lacked. 
She  was  usually  the  sunniest  and  most  sweet- 
tempered  of  persons,  but  had  her  moody  days 
when  she  "  flocked  by  herself,"  and  liked  to  brood 
upon  sombre  subjects  or  weave  lugubrious  ballads 
which  she  set  to  melancholy  tunes.  These  moody 
moments  occurred  but  seldom  and  were  generally 
the  outcome  of  hurt  feelings  after  some  teasing 
bout  with  one  of  her  sisters  or  some  contrite  con- 
dition following  a  deserved  lecture  from  her  mother 
or  her  Aunt  Sarah. 

Aunt  Sarah  Dent  often  came  to  make  long  stays 
with  the  family  after  the  death  of  the  children's 
father.  A  small  life  insurance  and  the  little  place  at 
the  end  of  the  street  was  about  all  that  was  left  to 
their  mother.  Aunt  Sarah  had  a  modest  income  of 
her  own  which  she  cheerfully  added  to  the  family 
exchequer  and,  therefore,  her  coming  usually  meant 


A  New  Song  l£ 

some  added  comforts,  so  they  managed  fairly  well. 
A  woman  came  in  to  wash  and  clean,  but  the  rest 
of  the  work  was  done  by  the  family  with  the  as- 
sistance of  a  half-grown  colored  girl,  and  an  old 
negro  man,  Landy  by  name.  It  was  supposed  that 
his  name  in  its  beginning  had  been  Philander,  but 
he  had  forgotten  and  no  one  else  knew.  He  was  a 
little  bent,  dried-up  old  darky,  but  was  tough  and 
wiry  and  could  accomplish  more  than  many  younger 
ones  of  his  color,  whom  he  scorned  openly. 

Add  to  the  family  an  old  mule  named  Pete,  a 
handsome  Angora  cat  called  Lady  Gray,  and  a  mon- 
grel dog  whose  name  was  Trouble,  and  you  have 
its  membership. 

It  was  one  afternoon  in  late  summer  that  Nan, 
having  been  called  Sharp  Corner  more  times  than 
her  temper  would  amiably  permit,  had  gone  to  a 
haunt  much  favored  by  herself.  This  was  at  the 
extreme  edge  of  the  place,  a  little  nook  where  the 
orchard  ended  and  a  few  stunted  pines  lapped  over 
into  the  next  field.  The  field  had  not  been  culti- 
vated for  some  time  and  was  overgrown  with 
weeds  and  a  young  growth  of  pine  and  fir  trees. 
It  was  rather  a  desolate  spot,  for  the  nearest  house 
was  hidden  in  summer  by  a  thick  grove,  and  the 
slope  of  the  hill  prevented  the  road  from  being  seen 
from  this  point. 


i6 


The  Four  Corners 


Creeping  through  the  rail  fence  Nan  felt  that  she 
had  placed  herself  outside  trammeling  conditions 
and  made  her  way  to  where  a  fallen  log,  covered 
with  moss,  invited  her.  This  was  Nan's  piano. 
She  seated  herself  upon  a  pile  of  sticks  and  stones 
which  she  had  heaped  up  before  the  log.  In  front 
of  her  she  had  constructed  a  sort  of  rack,  using  a 
bit  of  wood  which  she  had  nailed  to  the  log. 
Against  the  rack  she  placed  a  newspaper  clipping 
which  she  secured  from  blowing  away  by  means 
of  a  pin.  After  a  few  graceful  sweeps  of  her  hands 
up  and  down  the  pretended  key-board,  she  wailed 
forth  to  a  silent  accompaniment: 


Blue  his  eyes   as    sum-mer's  sky, 


tear-drops    lie,     For    his    feet    tread   the    dust  -  y 


av    -  e  -  nue,  Wea  -  ri  -    ly    the   whole  day  through 


Home-less   he  and     or-phaned   too       Lit-tle  Ja-mie. 


A  New  Song  17 

There  was  more  of  the  song  but  Nan  sang  the 
first  stanza  over  and  over  again.  At  the  close  of  the 
performance  her  eyes  were  full  of  tears  and  her 
voice  vibrated  with  emotion  as  she  quavered  forth: 
"  Little  Jamie."  A  flock  of  crows  in  the  field  be- 
yond rose  from  the  stubbly  undergrowth  with 
solemn  caws  and  sailed  off  to  the  grove  beyond. 
The  birds  of  ill-omen  exactly  suited  Nan's  mood. 
She  took  an  aesthetic  delight  in  their  presence. 
They  seemed  to  be  applauding  her.  She  went  to 
the  other  side  of  the  log  and  lay  down  upon  the 
dry  pine  needles,  her  head  against  the  log  and  her 
eyes  fixed  upon  the  blue  sky.  Her  thoughts  were 
with  the  verses  she  had  cut  from  a  country  news- 
paper. She  thought  they  were  delightful,  and  her 
fancy  brought  before  her  an  orphan  boy  tattered 
and  torn  but  beautiful  as  a  dream.  She  felt  all  the 
enthusiasm  of  a  true  composer  as  she  hummed  over 
the  tune  she  had  made. 

"I  will  publish  it  some  day,"  she  said.  "The 
next  time  everybody  is  busy  and  out  of  the  sitting- 
room,  I  will  try  to  write  it  so  1  will  not  forget  it.  I 
think,  myself,  that  it  is  lovely  and  I  ought  to  get  a 
great  deal  of  money  for  it,  enough  to  buy  a  piano." 

The  possession  of  a  piano  was  Nan's  dearest 
wish.  The  only  musical  instrument  of  which  the 
family  could  boast  was  an  old  wheezy  melodeon 


l8  The  Four  Corners 

which  stood  in  the  sitting-room.  It  skipped  notes 
once  in  a  while,  especially  in  its  middle  range,  and 
was  at  once  a  source  of  pleasure  and  disappoint- 
ment to  Nan.  Her  Aunt  Sarah  declared  that  it 
drove  her  wild  to  hear  Nan  try  to  pick  out  tunes  on 
it,  so  the  girl  usually  had  to  be  sure  of  having  the 
place  to  herself  before  she  dared  to  make  attempts 
at  music.  Feeble  little  attempts  these  were,  for  she 
knew  scarce  anything  beyond  the  mere  rudiments. 
But  to  a  great  love  of  music  she  added  a  true  ear,  a 
good  memory,  and  boundless  ambition  and  perse- 
verance. 

"  It  will  be  autumn  soon,"  Nan  went  on  to  her- 
self, her  thoughts  still  wandering  in  a  vague  dream. 
"  I  think  I  like  autumn  best  of  all  seasons.  I'd  like 
to  write  poetry  about  it.  When  I  am  a  great  musi- 
cian, I  will  write  a  piece  of  music  and  call  it  '  Au- 
tumn Whispers,'  and  it  will  sound  like  the  wind  in 
the  trees  and  the  corn  shocks.  Then  I  will  write 
another  and  that  will  be  called  '  Autumn  Secrets.' 
It  will  be  about  golden  sunshine  and  shining  red 
leaves  and  little  pools  of  water  in  the  hollows  that 
look  as  if  a  piece  of  blue  sky  had  dropped  in  them. 
!  wish  I  could  write  music  that  would  be  a  picture 
and  a  poem,  too;  it  would  be  nice  to  have  them  all 
together.  Trouble,  where  did  you  come  from  ?  I 
know  Phil  is  around  somewhere,"  she  exclaimed, 


A  New  Song  19 

suddenly,  sitting  up  very  straight.  "  I  don't  want 
him  to  find  me  here.  He  has  called  rne  '  Sharp 
Corner'  once  too  often  to-day." 

She  jumped  up  and  bending  low,  ran  along  the 
line  of  fence  toward  the  hollow  which  intervened 
between  this  and  the  next  rise  of  ground.  Trouble 
stood  still  for  a  moment,  uncertainly  looking  after 
her,  then  he  trotted  off  in  an  opposite  direction. 

Pursuing  her  way,  Nan  reached  the  small  stream 
which  ran  through  the  hollow.  Ferns  and  mosses 
were  here  in  abundance.  Here  and  there  a  cardinal 
flower  flaunted  its  red  banner.  Low  aground 
trailed  the  hedge  bindweed,  and  in  the  field  beyond  a 
slim  spire  of  goldenrod  showed  itself.  This  attracted 
Nan's  notice.  "I  said  it  would  be  autumn  soon," 
she  said,  "for  there  is  the  first  goldenrod  of  the 
season.  I  must  get  that  piece  for  Aunt  Sarah,  though 
if  she  has  an  idea  of  where  it  came  from,  she  won't 
have  it."  She  gave  a  hasty  glance  in  the  direction 
of  the  house  beyond  sheltering  trees  as  she  gained 
the  other  side  of  the  brook  to  gather  her  ambitious 
spray  of  goldenrod,  for  that  house  set  in  the  grove 
of  oaks  belonged  to  Grandmother  Corner,  whose 
grandchildren  were  strangers  to  her.  The  running 
brook  was  the  barrier  which  they  seldom  crossed 
and,  when  they  did,  it  was  secretly.  The  big  buff 
house  was  closed,  the  green  shutters  tightly  fastened, 


2o  The  Four  Corners 

the  door  boarded  up  and  the  gate  locked,  for  its 
owner  was  abroad.  With  her  daughter  Helen,  she 
had  been  in  Europe  ever  since  Nan  could  remember. 
Sometimes  Nan  would  push  her  way  through  the 
hedge  which  surrounded  the  lawn,  plunge  through 
the  long  grass  and  stand  staring  up  at  the  silent 
house  where  her  father  had  been  born.  Certain  ac- 
counts given  by  old  Landy  made  her  believe  that  it 
was  of  palatial  magnificence  and  she  longed  to  see 
its  interior.  Once  when  the  care-taker  had  made 
one  of  his  infrequent  visits,  one  of  the  lower  win- 
dows was  opened,  and  Nan  who  had  long  watched 
and  waited  for  such  an  opportunity,  tiptoed  up  to 
peep  in.  At  first  she  saw  nothing  but  ghostly 
sheeted  furniture  and  pictures  shrouded  in  muslin 
cases,  bare  floors  and  uncurtained  windows.  She 
was  about  to  creep  away  disappointed  when  she 
saw  the  man  upon  a  ladder  uncovering  a  picture. 
It  was  of  a  stately  lady  in  a  velvet  gown,  the 
slender  fingers  half  hidden  by  costly  lace,  and  Nan 
gazed  with  all  her  eyes  at  the  haughty  face.  Was 
it  her  grandmother's  portrait,  she  wondered.  She 
watched  till  the  man  readjusted  the  covering  and 
then  she  crept  away  dreaming  of  a  day  when  she 
might  see  the  original  of  the  portrait  and  when  she 
might  be  allowed  to  walk  through  those  silent 
rooms  again  restored  to  their  former  splendor. 


A  New  Song  21 

On  this  afternoon,  however,  she  did  not  go  near 
the  house,  but  followed  the  stream  for  a  short  dis- 
tance, crossed  back  again  and  came  around  the 
other  side  of  her  own  home  garden  where  old 
Landy  was  at  work,  talking  to  himself  as  was  his 
wont. 

"Reckon  dese  yer  vines  is  done  fo'.  Clar 'em 
erway.  No  mo'  beans  on  'em.  How  co'n  comin' 
on  ?  Get  a  mess  offen  dis  row  by  Sunday.  Tomats 
plenty.  Melons  gittin'  good  an'  ripe."  He  stooped 
down  to  tap  a  large  melon  with  his  bony  knuckles. 
"She  jest  a  bus'in'  wid  sweetness  by  'nother  week. 
Um,  um,  she  fa'r  make  me  dribble  at  de  mouf  to 
look  at  huh." 

"Who-o-o!"  came  a  long-drawn  owlish  cry 
from  behind  him. 

"Who  dat?"  cried  Landy,  pulling  himself  erect 
from  his  contemplation  of  the  melon.  "  Whicher 
one  o'  yuh  chilluns  is  it  ?  Hyar,  yuh,  Jack  er  Phil  er 
whomsoever  yuh  is,  git  outen  fum  behin'  dat  co'n 
brake.  I  sees  yuh." 

A  suppressed  giggle  from  Nan  made  known  her 
whereabouts,  and  she  arose  up  from  behind  the  tall 
tasseled  corn.  "  You  didn't  see  me  or  you  wouldn't 
have  called  me  Phil  or  Jack,  but  you  heard  me, 
didn't  you  ?  Did  you  think  I  was  a  real  sure  enough 
owl,  Unc'  Landy?" 


22  The  Four  Corners 

"  Humph  1  I  knows  ole  hooty-owl  better'n  dat. 
I  knows  yuh  is  a  burning  varmint." 

"  Oh,  Unc'  Landy !  the  idea  of  calling  me  a  varmint. 
I  am  not  one  at  all."  (. 

"Den  wha'  fo'yuh  grubbin'  roun'  in  de  gyardin' 
stuff  lak  ole  mole  ?  "  he  asked  chuckling. 

"Same  reason  you  do;  to  see  how  it  is  getting 
on.  When  will  the  watermelons  be  ready  to  eat  ? 
It  seems  to  me  they  are  very  late  this  year." 

"Dey  is  late.  I  say  dey  is,  but  nex'  week,  ef  de 
Lord  sees  fittin',  we  bus'  open  dis  one.  She  de  fust 
to  be  pick.  I  layin'  out  to  lif  huh  fum  huh  sandy 
baid  nex'  Tuesday." 

"  And  we'll  have  it  for  dinner.  Oh,  my!  I  wish 
it  were  ready  now.  Did  they  used  to  have  a  water- 
melon patch  over  at  Grandmother  Corner's  ?  There 
isn't  any  now." 

"  How  yuh  so  wise  ?  " 

"Oh,  I've  been  all  around  the  place.  I  know  just 
where  the  garden  used  to  be." 

"Yo*  ma  say  yuh  chilluns  ain't  to  ha'nt  de  ole 
place." 

"  I  know  and  I  don't  haunt  it;  I  just  go  there  once 
in  a  while.  1  haven't  been  for  a  long,  long  time. 
I  don't  see,  anyhow,  why  we  can't  go  when  it  was 
father's  home." 


A  New  Song  23 

"  Yuh  nuvver  sees  yo'  ma  er  yo'  auntie  cross  de 
brook." 

"No,  but  then " 

"  Den  wha'  fo'  yuh  do  what  dey  don'  do  ?  " 

"  I  do  lots  of  things  which  they  don't  do  and 
they  do  lots  of  things  1  don't  do;  that's  no  reason. 
When  do  you  reckon  my  Grandmother  Corner  will 
come  back?  " 

"Das  mo'n  any  huming  know,  I  tell  yuh,  honey. 
She  done  taken  huh  disagreeables  an'  huh  hity-tyties 
long  wid  huh.  Das  all  I  kyar  to  know.  She  want 
de  yarth  an'  all  dat  derein  is,  das  what  she  want; 
mebbe  she  fin'  it  off  yandah  in  dem  quare  countries, 
but  she  don't  git  back  dem  ha'sh  words  she  speak 
to  yo'  pa  on  his  las'  day.  Dey  a-follerin'  huh  an'  a 
gnawin'  an'  a  clawin'  at  huh  heart.  She  cyarnt  git 
rid  o'  dem  wha'soevah  she  go,  though  she  try  to 
flee  fum  'em." 

The  picture  of  her  grandmother's  fleeing  from 
place  to  place  pursued  by  bitter  words  in  the  form 
of  skeleton-like  creatures  who  gnashed  their  teeth 
and  clawed  with  bony  fingers  took  hold  of  Nan's 
imagination.  Her  mother  never  mentioned  Grand- 
mother Corner's  name,  and  from  old  Landy  Nan 
gleaned  all  that  she  knew  of  her.  Heretofore, 
what  had  been  told  her  did  not  cause  her  to  give 


24  The  Four  Corners 

much  love  to  this  unknown  grandmother,  but  now 
she  began  to  feel  rather  sorry  for  her.  "I  wish 
you  took  care  of  the  big  house,"  she  said,  "for 
then  you  could  let  me  go  in  there  to  see  the  pictures 
and  beautiful  things,  and  I  could  play  on  the  piano." 

"Humph!  I  say  let  you  in.  Ef  it  depen'  upon 
ole  Landy  yuh  ain'  nuvver  go  inside  de  do'.  Nobody 
tell  me  go  but  onct.  1  ain't  nuvver  pass  my  foot 
ovah  de  do'-sill  agin  whilst  I  lives  on  dis  yarth." 

While  he  talked  Landy  slashed  away  at  the  dead 
vines  vindictively.  As  he  clawed  at  them  with  his 
lean  black  fingers  he  made  Nan  think  of  the  bitter 
words  which  pursued  her  grandmother.  They 
must  appear  something  like  Landy,  only  more  bony 
and  wicked-looking.  Nan  laughed  at  the  conceit. 

"Tain't  nothin'  to  larf  at,"  grumbled  Landy. 
"  Dese  yer  fambly  q'urrels  is  turrble  things.  Yo'  pa 
know  yo'  gran'ma  don't  like  be  crossed  'bout  de 
proputty,  but  he  feel  lak  he  bleedged  to  say  what 
he  think,  an'  she  tu'n  on  him  an'  de  las'  word  she 
uvver  give  mek  him  have  de  heart-ache.  Yo'  ma 
ain'  fergit  dat,  an'  das  fo'  why  she  don'  lak  you 
chilluns  to  go  trespassin'  on  de  ole  place.  Hit  yo' 
gran'ma's  an'  she  got  full  an'  plenty  whilst  yo'  pa 
what  oughter  had  his  share  done  got  nothin'  ter 
leave  yuh-alls  but  dis  little  ole  place.  Das  why  I 
laks  ter  mek  hit  smile  an'  see  de  melons  grow  plum 


A  New  Song  25 

big  an'  de  co'n-fiel'  lookin'  prosp'ous.  Yo'  gran'pa 
mean  yo'  pa  to  hev  his  shar'  but  de  ole  lady  hoi'  on 
to  uvvry  thing  whilst  she  'bove  groun'.  Nemmin', 
yuh-alls  has  full  an'  plenty  to  eat.  Ain'  de  tomats 
jest  a-humpin'  deyse'fs  ?  Yo'  ma  has  pickles  an' 
cans  o'  'em  fo'  de  whole  wintah,  dey  so  many." 

"  I  like  the  little  yellow  ones  best,"  remarked 
Nan,  who  was  tired  of  the  old  man's  long  mono- 
logue. He  was  given  to  reciting  these  bits  of  fam- 
ily history  to  her  though  to  no  one  outside  the  fam- 
ily itself  would  he  have  breathed  a  word.  "  1 
think  these  make  the  very  nicest  preserves,"  con- 
tinued Nan,  "  and  I  like  them  raw,  too.  1  always 
feel  as  if  1  were  eating  golden  fairy  fruit  only  they 
aren't  sweet  like  I  imagine  fairy  fruit  would  be." 
She  stooped  to  gather  a  tiny  red  tomato  from  the 
vines  at  her  feet.  "  They  used  to  call  these  love-ap- 
ples, Aunt  Sarah  says,  and  they  thought  they  were 
poisonous.  I  am  glad  they  found  out  it  wasn't  so," 
she  said,  popping  the  red  morsel  into  her  mouth. 
"  What  are  you  going  to  do  now,  Landy  ?  " 

"  Gwine  tek  a  tu'n  at  de  fence."  When  Landy 's 
other  occupations  did  not  demand  attention  there 
was  always  the  fence  to  turn  to;  something  upon 
which  to  exhaust  his  energies.  It  was  patched  and 
mended  beyond  hope  now,  Mrs.  Corner  thought, 
and  the  repairs  were  creeping  from  the  side  to  the 


26  The  Four  Corners 

front,  for  Landy  had  frequently  "borrowed  from 
Peter  to  pay  Paul,"  and  when  a  paling  was  missing 
from  the  front  he  had  always  promptly  supplied  it 
from  the  sides,  replacing  it  by  a  board,  a  post,  or 
whatever  came  handy,  so  that  the  two  side  fences 
presented  a  curious  style  of  building.  White, 
green  or  gray  boards  took  their  place  as  occasion 
required.  Tops  from  empty  boxes  set  forth  some 
address  in  staring  black  letters,  a  bit  of  wire  fence 
was  hitched  to  a  cedar  post  on  one  side  and  an  old 
bed-slat  on  the  other;  but  the  fence  served  its  pur- 
pose to  keep  out  wandering  cattle  from  the  garden 
which  was  Landy's  pride.  And  though  Mrs.  Cor- 
ner sighed  when  she  went  that  way,  there  was  no 
money  to  be  spared  for  new  fences  so  the  old  one 
was  eked  out  from  year  to  year. 

Leaving  Landy  to  work  upon  the  fence,  Nan  sup- 
plied herself  with  more  small  tomatoes  and  went  up 
to  the  house  thinking  of  the  grandmother  across 
seas  and  determining  to  curb  her  own  tongue  lest 
it  lead  her  into  such  trying  ordeals  as  the  being 
haunted  by  bitter  words. 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  FAIRY  GODMOTHER 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  FAIRY  GODMOTHER 

As  she  entered  the  long  living-room,  Nan  found 
it  deserted  except  for  the  presence  of  Lady  Gray, 
who  sleepily  stretched  out  her  paws  on  the  broad 
window-sill  where  she  was  taking  a  nap,  and 
winked  one  eye  at  Nan.  "  Nobody  here,  at  least 
nobody  who  counts,  if  you  will  excuse  the  remark, 
Lady  Gray,"  said  Nan,  "  so  I  can  try  my  song." 

She  went  to  the  corner  where  the  melodeon 
stood.  It  was  piled  high  with  a  variety  of  things; 
her  mother's  work-basket,  Aunt  Sarah's  knitting,  a 
scrap-book,  and  some  sheets  of  paper  from  which 
Nan  was  taking  cuttings,  the  twin's  dolls,  and  a  pile 
of  books  which  she  herself  had  taken  from  the 
shelves.  All  these  had  to  be  removed  before  the 
song  could  be  tried. 

The  warm  summer  sunshine  sifted  in  through  the 
vines  that  covered  the  western  windows  and  dis- 
closed the  dinginess  of  the  room.  An  old-fashioned 
paper,  discolored  by  time,  covered  the  walls;  its 
green  and  gold  had  been  pleasant  to  look  upon  in 
days  gone  by,  but  now  it  was  patched  and  streaked. 


30  The  Four  Comers 

Upon  the  floor  was  a  worn  carpet;  handsome  old 
mahogany  furniture  which  had  lost  its  polish  gave 
a  well-filled  appearance  to  the  room,  though  the 
springs  of  the  long  sofa  had  been  greatly  weakened 
by  frequent  jumpings  upon  them,  so  that  the  seat 
of  the  sofa  presented  an  uphill  and  down-dale  sur- 
face, not  rendered  more  inviting  by  the  neutral- 
toned,  frayed  upholstery. 

A  tall  secretary  with  a  beautifully  leaded  glass  top 
had  been  chosen  by  some  yellow-jackets  as  a  place 
for  building  purposes,  and  they  were  droning  about 
their  mud-bedaubed  residences  along  the  edge  of 
the  secretary's  top. 

A  handsome  centre-table  with  claw  feet  was 
littered  with  books  and  magazines.  A  set  of  chairs 
in  about  the  same  condition  as  the  sofa  evidenced 
that  a  constant  use  had  been  made  of  them.  The 
shades  at  the  windows  were  in  a  more  or  less 
worn  condition.  Over  the  mantel  hung  a  portrait 
of  a  man  in  gray  uniform,  one  hand  on  his  sword. 
His  eyes  were  like  Nan's. 

Nan  began  industriously  to  pick  out  her  tune  by 
working  the  pedals  of  the  old  melodeon  vigorously, 
an  operation  which  was  followed  by  a  long-drawn 
wheezing  complaint  from  somewhere  in  the  in- 
terior of  the  instrument.  But  Nan  did  not  perceive 
any  reason  for  amusement;  she  carefully  wrote 


The  Fairy  Godmother  31 

down  her  notes  one  by  one,  saying  aloud  "  D,  d,  f, 
a, — I  wish  that  note  would  sound.  I  think  it  must 
be  a — b,  a, — I  wonder  if  it  is  a;  it  comes  so  often, 
too,  I  ought  to  know.  Oh,  dear,  e  is  out  of  order, 
too.  Let  me  see,  where  was  I  ?  Oh,  yes,  '  blue 
his  eyes,'  it  is  eyes  that  ought  to  be  e.  I  reckon 
I'll  know  what  it  is  anyhow,  even  if  I  don't  get 
it  exactly  right.  'Blue  his  eyes,'"  she  sang 
softly. 

"Nannie,"  came  a  voice  from  the  window,  "do 
shut  up  that  dreadful  wheezing  thing;  I  want  to 
take  a  nap." 

Nan  jumped  up  and  closed  the  melodeon  with  a 
bang.  Why  was  it  that  Aunt  Sarah  always  wanted 
to  take  a  nap  when  she  was  "composing"?  It 
was  always  so.  Aunt  Sarah  might  go  days  and 
never  think  of  napping  in  the  daytime,  but  let  Nan 
but  send  forth  one  note  and,  if  Aunt  Sarah  were 
anywhere  within  hearing  distance,  there  came  the 
order  to  stop.  "  I  wish  I  could  have  it  all  to  myself 
somewhere  out  of  the  way,"  she  said.  "I'll  ask 
mother  if  I  may  get  Landy  to  take  it  over  in  one  of 
the  old  rooms,  or  up  in  the  attic  or  somewhere  so 
nobody  will  hear  me." 

Acting  upon  this  idea  she  sought  out  her  mother 
who  was  busy  at  her  sewing-machine.  Mrs. 
Corner  looked  up  brightly,  though  she  did  not  stop 


32  The  Four  Corners 

her  work  when  Nan  appeared.  "  Well,  daughter?" 
she  said. 

"Oh,  mother,  mayn't  I  have  the  old  melodeon  all 
to  myself  somewhere;  over  in  the  barn,  or  in  one 
of  the  shut  up  rooms  of  the  wing  or  in  the  garret 
or  somewhere  so  nobody  can  hear  when  I  am 
playing?" 

''Playing?"  An  amused  pucker  came  around 
Mrs.  Corner's  eyes.  "It  is  truly  playing  that  you 
do  with  it.  I  don't  see  how  I  can  let  you  have  it, 
for  it  is  so  useful  to  pile  things  on  in  the  living- 
room." 

"  But  mother,  a  table  would  do  just  as  well." 

"If  one  had  the  table." 

"  I'm  sure  there  must  be  one  somewhere  in  the 
garret." 

"  None  that  is  whole." 

"There's  one  that  is  only  a  little  rickety  in  the 
legs,  and  Landy  could  mend  that." 

"  Landy  has  no  time  for  such  things,  at  least,  un- 
less they  are  absolutely  necessary.  He  has  all  that 
he  can  do." 

"Oh,  but  I  do  want  it  so  very  much.  Aunt 
Sarah  always  wants  to  take  a  nap  the  minute  I  be- 
gin to  play  and  I  always  have  to  stop." 

Mrs.  Corner  smiled  again.  "I'm  not  surprised. 
Don't  be  unreasonable,  Nan.  You  know  it  is  trying 


The  Fairy  Godmother  33 

to  hear  any  one  wheeze  out  impossible  tunes  with 
one  finger,  or  make  distracting  discords  which  are 
agony  to  a  sensitive  ear.  You  are  getting  too  big 
to  want  to  drum." 

A  lump  arose  in  Nan's  throat.  She  was  shy  of 
divulging  her  ambitions.  Her  mother  did  not  un- 
derstand that  she  did  not  want  to  drum,  but  that 
this  was  a  serious  matter.  She  would  not  explain, 
however,  but  she  hurried  away  with  a  sense  of  be- 
ing aggrieved.  Mary  Lee  and  Phil  were  at  that 
moment  deeply  interested  in  watching  a  family  of 
tadpoles  which  were  about  to  lose  their  tails.  The 
two  children  kept  them  in  an  old  half-cask  and 
spent  many  moments  in  bending  over  it.  Jack  and 
Jean  were  playing  house  with  paper-dolls  in  the 
orchard.  No  one  wanted  Nan  and  she  did  want 
her  music.  She  made  one  more  attempt,  returning 
slowly  to  her  mother's  door.  "If  you  only  just 
knew,  mother,  how  awfully  much  I  want  it,  you'd 
let  me  have  it." 

Her  mother  stopped  stitching.  "  Poor  little  girl," 
she  spoke  sympathetically,  "I  wish  you  could  have 
lessons,  and  that  I  could  give  you  a  good  piano  to 
practice  on,  for  1  do  appreciate  your  love  of  music, 
but  dear,  I  don't  see  that  your  efforts  on  that  old 
worn-out  melodeon  will  bring  you  the  slightest  re- 
ward; in  fact,  1  have  heard  it  said  that  it  is  not  well 


34  The  Four  Corners 

to  allow  a  child  to  practice  on  a  poor  instrument. 
Now,  be  reasonable,  darling,  and  don't  want  im- 
possibilities. You  know  mother  would  give  you 
your  every  heart's  desire  if  she  could." 

"I  know,"  said  Nan  weakly  as  she  turned  again 
from  the  room.  A  sudden  inspiration  had  seized 
her,  and  her  heart  beat  very  fast  as  she  made  her 
way  back  to  the  retreat  in  the  pines  and  from  there 
to  the  hollow  and  on  to  the  very  threshold  of  the 
house  at  Uplands,  the  old  Corner  place.  She  tried 
the  door  but  it  did  not  yield  to  her  efforts.  From 
window  to  window  she  went  making  an  effort  to 
open  each.  To  the  'side  door,  the  back  door  and 
around  to  the  porch  on  the  north  side.  There  were 
side  lights  to  the  door  here,  and,  shading  her  eyes, 
Nan  tried  to  peer  through  into  the  dimness. 

Nan  thought  she  heard  sounds  within  and  felt  a 
little  scared,  then  all  at  once  she  saw  a  form  in  black 
garments  flit  across  the  hall,  and  with  a  suppressed 
scream  she  turned  and  fled,  crashing  through  the 
weeds  and  underbrush,  leaping  across  the  brook 
and  reaching  her  retreat  frightened  and  wondering. 
There  could  be  no  mistake;  some  one  was  certainly 
there.  Was  it  flesh  and  blood  presence  or  some 
ghostly  visitor?  Uplands  had  the  reputation  of 
being  haunted  and  Nan  really  believed  she  had  seen 
the  ghost  of  her  great-great-grandmother. 


The  Fairy  Godmother  35 

She  sat  quaking  and  yet  half  trying  to  make  up 
her  mind  to  return  for  further  investigation  when  a 
shadow  fell  across  the  spot  where  she  sat,  and, 
looking  up,  she  saw  a  strange  little  lady  standing 
before  her,  looking  down  at  her  wistfully.  The 
lady  was  all  in  black  and  though  her  face  was 
young,  and  her  cheeks  showed  softly  pink,  her  hair 
was  very  white.  Nan  had  not  seen  her  approach, 
and  it  appeared  almost  as  if  she  had  dropped  from 
the  skies.  "Who  are  you?"  inquired  the  little 
lady. 

"One  of  the  four  Corners,"  returned  Nan  with  a 
sudden  smile. 

"Which  one?" 

"Nan." 

"  I  was  sure  of  it.  And  why  were  you  trying  to 
get  into  that  house  ?  "  The  little  lady  nodded  toward 
Uplands. 

"Because  it  is  my  grandmother's  and — and '' 

She  glanced  up  shyly  at  the  stranger. 

"Go  on,  please,"  said  the  lady,  taking  a  seat  on 
an  end  of  Nan's  pretended  piano.  "Did  you  want 
anything  in  particular  ?" 

There  was  something  compelling  in  the  lady's 
manner,  and  Nan  replied,  "Yes,  I  did.  I  know  I 
really  ought  not  to  have  gone,  for  mother  doesn't 
like  us  even  to  cross  the  brook.  She  never  actually 


36  The  Four  Corners 

forbids  it,  but  she  looks  distressed  if  she  finds  out 
that  any  of  us  have  been  over,  but  I  wanted  awfully 
to  see  if  I  could  get  in  and  try  to  open  the  piano. 
It  seems  so  perfectly  dreadful  for  it  to  stand  there 
month  after  month  and  year  after  year,  no  good  to 
anybody,  when  I'd  give  my  right  hand  to  have  it." 

"If  you  gave  your  right  hand  for  it,"  said  the 
lady,  suddenly  dimpling,  "you  could  only  play 
bass,  you  know,  and  I  don't  believe  you  would  care 
for  that." 

Nan  laughed.  "No,  I  wouldn't.  I  like  the  fine 
high  notes,  though  sometimes  I  think  the  growling 
bass  of  the  organ  at  church  is  beautiful.  It  makes 
me  think  of  what  it  says  in  the  Psalter:  '  The  noise 
of  the  seas,  the  noise  of  the  waves,  and  the  tumult 
of  the  people.'" 

The  lady  nodded  understandingly  and  was  silently 
thoughtful  for  some  moments,  then  she  said,  "This 
is  a  nice  little  spot."  She  put  her  hand  upon  Nan's 
improvised  music-rack.  "What  is  this  for?"  she 
asked. 

Nan  blushed.  "It's  just  to  hold  up  the  music, 
you  know.  That's  my  piano  where  you  are  sitting." 

' 5  Goodness !  "  cried  the  lady,  jumping  up.  ' '  How 
undignified  of  me  to  sit  on  a  piano.  Please  pardon 
me;  I  didn't  know." 

"Of  course  not."    Nan's  eyes  grew  starlike.     It 


The  Fairy  Godmother  37 

was  not  only  very  delightful  but  very  exciting  to 
meet  one  who  so  perfectly  understood.  "  You  see," 
she  went  on,  "  all  I  have  at  home  is  a  dreadful  old 
melodeon  that  skips  notes  and  wheezes  like  our  old 
Pete;  he  has  the  heaves,  you  know." 

"Poor  old  Pete,"  said  the  lady,  with  a  tender 
retrospective  look  in  her  eyes.  "You  have  the 
melodeon,  yes,  and  then?" 

"Aunt  Sarah  always  wants  to  take  a  nap  the 
minute  I  begin  to  play,  and  to-day,"  her  voice 
dropped  and  she  went  nearer  to  her  visitor,  "I  had 
made  a  new  tune  and  1  did  so  want  to  write  it  down. 
I  came  out  here  first  and  tried  it;  it  sounded  very 
well,  I  thought,  but  I  had  written  only  a  little  of  it 
when  I  had  to  shut  the  melodeon.  Aunt  Sarah  al- 
ways does  have  such  inconvenient  times  for  taking 
naps,"  she  sighed. 

"  Won't  you  let  me  hear  your  song,  or  your  tune  ?  " 
said  the  lady,  politely  seating  herself  with  an  ex- 
pectant air  upon  a  stump  further  off. 

Nan's  cheeks  grew  redder.  She  did  not  like  to 
seem  ungracious  to  this  stranger  who  showed 
such  an  unusual  interest  in  her  performances  and 
yet  her  only  audience  heretofore  had  been  the 
creatures  of  the  field  and  the  air.  "No  one  has  ever 
heard  it  but  the  crows,"  she  said  hesitatingly,  then 
impulsively:  "  You  won't  laugh  ?" 


38  The  Four  Corners 

"Indeed  no,  of  course  not,"  returned  the  lady 
with  some  real  indignation  at  such  a  suspicion. 

Nan  sat  still  long  enough  to  screw  up  her  courage 
to  the  active  point,  and  then  drawing  from  her 
blouse  a  bit  of  paper,  she  seated  herself  before  her 
log-piano  and  began  her  song.  The  lady,  with 
cheek  in  hand,  leaned  forward  and  listened  intently. 
Once  there  was  a  slight  flicker  of  amusement  in  her 
eyes,  but  for  the  most  part  her  face  was  tenderly 
serious.  At  the  close  of  the  song  she  said  gently: 
"  Thank  you,  dear.  I  think  that  is  a  very  sweet  lit- 
tle air  for  one  so  young  as  you  to  think  of.  May 
I  see?"  She  extended  her  hand  for  Nan's  half- 
written  song.  "How  will  you  finish  it?"  she 
asked. 

"  I  don't  know.  I'll  have  to  wait  till  Aunt  Sarah 
goes  out  or  goes  away.  I  hope  I  shall  not  forget  it 
before  then.  I'll  sing  it  over  every  day  and  then 
maybe  I  won't  forget." 

The  lady  looked  at  her  thoughtfully  for  a  minute. 
"  Can  you  keep  a  secret  ?'J  she  asked  suddenly. 

"  Oh,  yes.  Why,  nobody,  not  even  Mary  Lee, 
has  an  idea  about  this."  She  waved  her  hand  to  in- 
clude her  music-room  retreat. 

"Then  promise  not  to  tell  a  soul." 

"I  promise."    Nan's  eyes  grew  eager. 

"I  am  your  fairy  godmother,  and  if  you  will 


SHE  SEATED  HERSELF  BEFORE  HER   LOG   PIANO  AND   BEGAN 
HER  SONG 


The  Fairy  Godmother  39 

meet  me  under  the  sunset  tree  to-morrow  morning 
at  ten  o'clock,  I  will  conduct  you  to  a  place  where 
you  can  finish  your  song  undisturbed,  for  I  guarantee 
Aunt  Sarah  will  not  be  caught  napping  within  hear- 
ing of  you  and  thejnelodeon." 

"Oh,  how  perfectly  delicious,"  cried  Nan,  her 
imagination  all  afire.  "I'd  love  that.  Where  is 
the  sunset  tree?  It  is  such  a  lovely  name  for 
it." 

The  lady  pointed  to  a  huge  oak  just  across  the 
brook.  "It  is  called  that  because  one  can  see  the 
sunset  so  finely  from  there.  Have  you  never  been 
up  to  look  at  the  sun  go  down  behind  the  hills  ? 
There  is  one  little  notch  between  the  mountains 
over  there  and  at  a  certain  season  of  the  year  the  sun 
drops  right  down  into  it." 

"  I  have  never  seen  it,"  said  Nan,  regretfully.  "  I 
wonder  why  no  one  ever  told  me  about  it.  I 
think  sunset  tree  is  such  a  lovely  name  and  it  is  just 
the  spot  for  a  trysting  place.  It  would  be  a  lovely 
secret,  but  I  never  had  a  real  important  one  from 
mother  before.  I  shall  have  to  tell  her  about  going 
up  there;  not  right  away,  but  some  day.  It 
always  comes  out  sooner  or  later  and  I  would  rather 
tell  just  mother,  if  you  don't  mind." 

"  So  you  may.  I'm  glad  you  feel  that  way  about 
it.  Little  girls  should  never  have  secrets  they  cannot 


4-O  The  Four  Corners 

tell  their  mothers.  In  three  days  you  may  tell  her, 
if  you  think  it  would  be  right  to  keep  silence  that 
long." 

"  Oh,  that  will  not  be  very  long.  I  could  keep  the 
secret  longer  if  you  said  so." 

"That  will  be  long  enough.  Now,  shut  your 
eyes  while  you  count  one  hundred  slowly  or  the 
queen  of  the  fairies  will  not  let  me  appear  again. 
The  spell  will  be  broken  if  you  so  much  as  peep,  or 
if  you  do  not  count  aloud." 

Nan  closed  her  eyes  very  tight  and  began  to 
count.  She  gave  a  little  interrupting  gasp  as  she 
felt  a  light  kiss  on  her  cheek,  but  she  kept  steadily 
on  till  she  had  reached  the  desired  number.  Then 
she  opened  her  eyes  and  looked  around.  There  was 
no  one  in  sight.  The  afternoon  sun  was  sinking  be- 
hind the  trees,  and  the  cows  were  returning  home 
along  the  county  road.  With  the  weight  of  such  a 
secret  as  she  had  never  before  carried,  Nan  ran 
home  in  a  happy  tumult  of  excited  expectation.  At 
the  back  of  the  house  she  came  upon  Mary  Lee  and 
Phil  still  absorbed  in  their  polywogs. 

"Come  see,"  cried  Mary  Lee,  "they  are  too 
funny  for  anything,  Nan.  They  are  the  interesting- 
est  things  I  ever  saw." 

Nan  went  up  to  look.  "What  is  so  wonderful 
about  polywogs  ?"  she  asked. 


The  Fairy  Godmother  41 

"You'd  think  yourself  wonderful,"  said  Phil  in- 
dignantly, "if  you  could  change  yourself  from  a 
swimming  beast  into  a  hopping  one  and  be  as  aw- 
fully amphibious  as  they  are." 

Nan  laughed  and  drew  her  finger  slowly  through 
the  water  in  the  cask.  "  They  aren't  half  so  won- 
derful as  fairies,"  she  said.  "They  can  change 
themselves  into  all  sorts  of  things." 

"  Oh,  pshaw !  Everybody  knows  that  there  are  no 
real  fairies.  These  can  really  change  before  your 
very  eyes;  we've  watched  them  from  day  to  day, 
haven't  we,  Mary  Lee  ?" 

"Yes,  we  have,"  was  the  answer.  "Nan  always 
likes  foolish  make-believe  things,  but  we  like  the 
real  ones." 

"  Fairy  godmothers  are  real,"  Nan  answered  back 
over  her  shoulder  as  she  left  the  pair  discussing  the 
proper  treatment  of  their  present  pets.  They  paid 
no  attention  to  her  speech  and  she  laughed  to  her- 
self, exulting  in  her  secret.  Before  she  reached  the 
house  she  heard  a  wail  from  the  direction  of  the 
orchard,  and  perceived  Jean  sitting  on  the  ground 
under  a  tree.  As  Nan  approached,  she  whimpered 
softly. 

"  What's  the  matter,  kitten  ?  "  asked  Nan. 

"Jack  was  pretending  I  was  a  calf,"  said  Jean, 
mournfully,  "and  she  hobbled  me  to  the  tree  so  1 


42  The  Four  Corners 

couldn't  get  to  my  mother,  and  now  she's  gone  off 
and  I  can't  get  the  rope  untied." 

"  Poor  little  calf,  and  the  cows  all  coming  home, 
too.  Never  mind,  I'll  untie  you.  Where  is  Jack?" 

"  She  was  going  for  her  cows,  but  I  reckon  she's 
done  forgot  it." 

"Don't  say  done  forgot;  that  sounds  like  Mitty 
and  Unc'  Landy." 

Jean  hung  her  head.  She  was  used  to  these  chid- 
ings  from  her  eldest  sister.  She  had  a  curious 
babyish  way  of  speaking,  not  being  easily  able  to 
make  the  sounds  of  Ih  or  qu.  "I  know  it  isn't 
crite  right/'  she  said,  "  but  I  forget  sometimes." 

Nan  put  her  arms  around  her.  "  Of  course  you 
do.  We  all  forget  some  things  sometimes.  Come 
with  me  and  let  us  hunt  up  Jack.  I'll  venture  to 
say  she's  in  some  mischief." 

She  was  not  far  wrong  in  her  conjectures,  for 
after  a  half  hour's  diligent  searching,  Jack  was 
found.  She  had  discovered  a  can  of  white  paint, 
supplied  by  Aunt  Sarah  for  the  betterment  of  the 
front  fence  which  Landy  had  proudly  commenced 
to  adorn  with  a  shining  coat  of  whiteness.  He  had 
been  called  away  when  he  had  made  but  little 
progress  and  Jack  had  taken  up  the  job  with  great 
glee.  She  was  in  the  height  of  her  enjoyment, 
daubing  on  great  masses  of  white  which  dribbled 


The  Fairy  Godmother  43 

down  the  palings  wastefully.  The  child  herself 
was  smeared  from  hair  ribbon  to  shoe-strings  and 
was  a 'sight  to  behold. 

"  Jack  Corner!  "  exclaimed  Nan.  "  You  dreadful 
child!  Just  look  at  you,  and,  oh,  dear,  how  you  are 
wasting  paint.  It  won't  begin  to  be  enough  to 
finish  the  fence  the  way  you  have  been  using  it. 
Unc'  Landy  will  give  you  Jesse." 

"  Some  one's  always  giving  me  Jesse,"  com- 
plained Jack.  "  You  all  keep  saying  Unc'  Landy 
has  so  much  to  do  and  I  am  only  helping  him." 

"  Pretty  help,  using  up  the  paint  and  ruining  your 
clothes.  March  yourself  straight  into  the  house, 
miss."  Nan  took  hold  of  Jack's  shoulder  which 
was  twitched  away,  and  with  a  vicious  fling  of  the 
dripping  brush  directly  at  Nan,  Jack  turned  and 
fled. 

"She  is  the  most  trying  child,"  said  Nan,  deftly 
dodging  the  brush,  though  not  without  receiving 
some  drops  upon  her  frock.  "  I  declare,  there  isn't  a 
day  when  she  doesn't  do  something  dreadful." 

"  She  just  fought  she  was  helping,"  put  in  Jean, 
always  ready  to  defend  her  twin  by  imputing 
worthy  motives  to  her  performances. 

"  Maybe  she  did,  but  it's  pretty  poor  help,"  said 
Nan,  stooping  to  pick  a  plantain  leaf  with  which  to 
wipe  off  the  worst  spots  from  her  skirt.  "Aunt 


44  The  Four  Corners 

Sarah  was  so  good  as  to  buy  the  paint.  I  know  she 
went  without  something  to  do  it,  and  now  for  Jack 
to  do  her  so  mean  as  to  play  this  scurvy  trick  is  too 
bad.  I'm  all  done  out  with  Jack.  It's  lucky  we 
found  her  when  we  did  or  there  wouldn't  have 
been  even  as  much  paint  as  there  is.  I  must  go  tell 
Unc'  Landy  at  once.  Maybe  he  can  scrape  off  some 
of  this  before  it  dries.  Help  indeed!  It  gives  him 
double  work."  Her  last  words  were  spoken  to 
thin  air,  for  Jean  had  hurried  off  to  comfort  Jack 
and  Nan  was  left  to  break  the  news  to  Unc'  Landy. 


CHAPTER  III 
NAN'S  SECRET 


CHAPTER  III 
NAN'S  SECRET 

WHEN  Nan  opened  her  eyes  the  next  morning  it 
was  with  a  consciousness  that  something  pleasantly 
exciting  was  to  happen,  and  she  lost  no  time  in 
hurrying  down-stairs  and,  after  breakfast,  in  get- 
ting through  her  prescribed  duties  with  more  than 
usual  haste.  Her  mother  smiled  to  see  that  she  was 
so  eager  and  businesslike  and  that  her  moodiness 
of  the  day  before  had  departed,  while  Aunt  Sarah 
said:  "  I  hope  your  fancy  will  not  lead  you  to  try 
the  tune  the  old  cow  died  of  to-day,  Nannie." 

Nan  smiled  but  made  no  reply.  What  matter  if 
Aunt  Sarah  did  cast  slurs  upon  her  musical  at- 
tempts ?  There  were  persons  in  the  world  who  took 
them  seriously,  and  she  felt  a  thrill  of  satisfaction  as 
she  thought  of  the  soft  white  hair  and  blue  eyes  of 
her  fairy  godmother. 

It  was  with  some  difficulty  that  she  was  able  to 
reach  the  sunset  tree  without  being  seen.  Jack,  in 
penitential  mood,  and  Jean  looking  for  sympathy, 
followed  her  everywhere,  and  it  was  not  till  she  had 
robbed  a  rose  bush  of  its  red  berry-like  seeds  and 


48  The  Four  Corners 

had  constructed  a  wonderful  set  of  dishes,  a  lamp, 
and  a  whole  family  of  people  from  the  berries,  that 
the  reward  of  her  ingenuity  came  to  her  in  the  de- 
light of  the  children  over  these  novel  toys  and  in 
their  content  with  a  corner  of  the  porch  for  a  play- 
room. After  seeing  them  well  established,  Nan  set 
off. 

"  I've  dusted  the  living-room,  made  my  bed, 
picked  up  after  Jack,  and  I  believe  that  is  all,"  she 
told  herself.  "  There's  Phil  coming,  I  am  thankful 
to  say,  so  Mary  Lee  will  not  tag  me."  She  paid  no 
heed  to  the  question,  "Where  are  you  going?" 
which  Mary  Lee  called  after  her,  but  kept  on  till 
the  barn  hid  her  from  sight.  She  hoped  she  had 
not  kept  her  friend  waiting  and  that  she  would  not 
become  impatient  and  leave,  for  it  was  after  ten. 
But  as  she  came  up  to  the  tree  she  saw  the  sombre 
little  figure  sitting  quietly  there.  "  I  was  so  afraid 
you  couldn't  wait,"  said  Nan  breathlessly.  "The 
children  were  so  tiresome  and  wanted  all  sorts  of 
things  done  for  them  so  I  couldn't  get  away  be- 
fore." 

"There's  plenty  of  time,"  replied  her  friend. 
"Sit  down  and  cool  off;  you've  come  too  fast 
in  the  hot  sun.  Tell  me  about  the  children." 

"Jean  is  a  dear,  and  Jack  can  be  perfectly  fasci- 
nating when  she  chooses.  They  are  the  twins,  you 


Nan's  Secret  49 

know.  Jack's  name  is  Jacqueline.  Aunt  Sarah  says 
she  was  mixed  together  with  more  original  sin 
than  any  of  us,  and  if  there  hadn't  been  a  lot  of 
angel  used  in  her  make  up  she  doesn't  know  what 
would  become  of  her.  She  is  simply  dear  this 
morning,  but  yesterday  afternoon!"  And  Nan 
gave  an  account  of  Jack's  muddle  with  the  paint. 

Her  companion  laughed.  "She  must  keep  you 
in  hot  water,"  she  said.  "Tell  me  about  Mary 
Lee." 

"Oh,  do  you  know  there  is  a  Mary  Lee?"  said  Nan 
in  surprise.  "  But  of  course  everybody  knows  us. 
She  is  named  for  our  mother,  and  I  am  named  for 
papa's  sister  Nancy  Weston  who  died.  We  called 
Jack  and  Jean  after  papa.  His  name  was  John  and 
Jean  is  the  French  for  John,  only  we  give  it  the 
Scotch  pronunciation.  Papa  was  always  called 
Jack  and  so  Jacqueline  is  called  that." 

"  Yes,  I  know — I  mean  I  see,"  returned  her  com- 
panion. "Come,  now,  shall  we  go  on?  Are  you 
ready  to  be  conducted  to  the  place  of  your  desires  ? 
You  must  go  blindfolded." 

"  How  lovely !  That  makes  it  so  deliciously  mys- 
terious. I  hope  I  shall  not  fall  and  bump  my 
nose." 

"I'll  take  care  that  you  do  not.  Let  me  tie  this 
over  your  eyes."  She  drew  a  soft  silken  scarf  from 


50  The  Four  Corners 

a  bag  she  held,  and  made  it  fast  over  Nan's  eyes. 
"Can  you  see  ?  "  she  asked. 

"No,  indeed,  I  can't.  Not  the  leastest  little 
bit." 

"Now  give  me  your  hands.  There,  I'll  put 
them  around  my  waist  and  you  will  walk  just 
behind  me." 

Their  way  was  made  very  cautiously  and  slowly 
and  at  last  Nan  set  foot  upon  a  board  floor.  "Now 
1  can  lead  you,"  said  her  guide.  "One  step  up, 
please." 

Nan  was  led  along  the  floor  for  some  distance 
making  one  sharp  turn,  and  then  was  gently  forced 
to  a  seat.  "There,"  said  her  guide.  "Sit  here 
perfectly  still  till  you  hear  a  bell  ring;  then  you 
may  untie  your  scarf,  but  you  must  not  leave  the 
room  till  I  come  for  you." 

Nan  sat  very  still.  Presently  she  heard  a  light 
footstep  cross  the  floor,  then  a  door  closed  and 
after  a  few  minutes  a  bell  in  the  distance  tinkled 
softly.  Up  went  her  hands  and  the  scarf  was 
withdrawn  in  a  jiffy.  She  found  herself  sitting 
before  an  open  piano.  On  each  side  of  her  were 
set  lighted  candles  in  tall  brass  candlesticks.  Into 
the  room  no  gleam  of  daylight  made  its  way.  In 
the  shadowy  corners  were  sheeted  chairs  and  sofas 
and  on  the  wall  were  covered  pictures.  Nan 


Nan's  Secret  51 

recognized  the  place  at  once.  It  was  the  drawing- 
room  of  her  grandmother's  house  and  over  the 
mantel  must  be  the  very  portrait  she  had  once 
gazed  upon  with  such  delight.  Now  it  was 
screened  from  view.  "  I  just  wonder  who  in  the 
world  she  is,"  exclaimed  Nan  thinking  of  her  guide. 
"I'd  like  to  know  how  she  got  in  here  and  all 
about  it.  Perhaps  she  is  some  of  our  kinsfolk  who 
has  come  down  here  to  look  after  something  for 
grandmother.  I'm  going  to  ask  her." 

Having  made  this  decision,  she  turned  her  at- 
tention to  the  piano.  In  spite  of  long  disuse  it 
gave  forth  mellow  and  delightful  tones  as  she 
touched  it  softly.  It  seemed  very  big  and  im- 
portant after  the  little  melodeon,  but  soon  the  girl 
gained  confidence  and  became  absorbed  in  writing 
down  her  little  song  which  she  did  note  by  note, 
calling  each  aloud.  "I  am  not  sure  that  it  is  just 
right,"  she  said  as  she  concluded  her  task,  "but  it 
is  as  right  as  I  can  make  it." 

She  arose  from  her  seat  and  tiptoed  around  the 
room,  lifting  the  covers  from  the  shrouded  furniture 
and  getting  glimpses  of  dim  brocade  and  silky  plush. 
Then  she  went  back  to  the  piano.  All  was  so  still 
in  the  house  that  Nan  felt  the  absolute  freedom  of 
one  without  an  audience.  She  touched  the  keys 
gently  at  first,  but,  gaining  confidence  and  inspira- 


52  The  Four  Corners 

tion,  went  on  playing  by  ear  snatches  of  this  and 
that,  becoming  perfectly  absorbed  in  the  happiness 
of  making  melody. 

She  was  so  carried  away  by  her  performance 
that  she  neither  saw  nor  heard  the  door  open 
and  was  not  aware  of  any  one's  presence  till  a 
soft  voice  said:  "I  declare,  the  blessed  child  really 
has  talent." 

"Oh!"  Nan  sprang  to  her  feet.  "Were  you 
listening?" 

"  I  have  been  for  a  short  time  only.  How  did  you 
get  along  with  your  song  ?" 

"  Pretty  well.  I  don't  know  whether  it  is  exactly 
right.  I  don't  know  much  about  time,  and  sharps 
and  flats." 

"  May  I  see  ?    Perhaps  I  can  help  you." 

Nan  timidly  held  out  her  little  awkwardly  written 
tune  and  the  lady  scanned  it  carefully.  "  You 
haven't  your  sharps  and  naturals  just  right,"  she  re- 
marked. "You  see  this  is  the  sign  of  a  natural," 
and  taking  Nan's  pencil  she  made  the  necessary  cor- 
rections, then  sitting  down  to  the  piano  she  played 
the  simple  air  through  and  afterward  went  off  into 
a  dreamy  waltz  while  Nan  listened  spellbound. 

"Please  tell  me  who  you  are,"  the  child  cried 
when  the  music  ceased. 

"I   did  tell  you.      I  am  your  fairy  godmother. 


Nan's  Secret  53 

You  may  leave  out  the  fairy  if  you  like,  for  I  am 
quite  substantial." 

"Are  you  kin  to — to  grandmother?  Did  she 
send  you?:> 

"She  did  not  send  me  and  has  no  idea  I  am 
here." 

Nan  stared.  "I  know,  of  course,  just  where  I 
am,"  she  said.  "This  is  Grandmother  Corner's 
house.  1  saw  into  this  very  room  once  and  I  saw 
that,"  she  indicated  the  portrait.  "I  just  saw  it  for 
a  minute  and  I  do  so  want  to  see  it  real  good. 
Could  I  ?  "  she  asked,  wistfully. 

"Why  do  you  want  to  see  it?"  asked  her  com- 
panion. 

"Because  1  love  it.  Oh,  I  know,  I  know,"  she 
went  on  hastily.  "  Landy  has  told  me." 

"  Has  told  you  what  ?  " 

"  I  can't  tell  you  unless  you  are  kinsfolk." 

"You  can  tell  me  anything  because  there  is  noth- 
ing I  don't  know  about  this  house  and  those  who 
used  to  live  here." 

"  Oh,  then,  you  know  how  cruel  my  grandmother 
was  to  papa,  and  how  she  couldn't  bear  his  marry- 
ing mother." 

"It  wasn't  because  it  was  herself,"  put  in  the 
other  eagerly.  "There  was  no  objection  to  Mary 
personally,  but  she  hated  to  give  him  up  to  any  one. 


54  The  Four  Corners 

She  would  have  felt  the  same  way  if  he  had  wanted 
to  marry  a  princess.  She  never  did  get  over  the 
fact  of  sharing  him  with  some  one  else;  she  never 
will." 

"  I  didn't  know  all  that,  but  I  knew  about  the  bit- 
ter words  and  how  they  have  been  haunting  her, 
and  I  feel  so  very  sorry  for  her.  I  know  it  would 
break  my  mother's  heart  to  lose  one  of  us,"  said 
Nan,  "and  if  she  had  been  cross  to  us  and  any- 
thing had  happened  that  we  were  hurt  meantime  she 
would  never  forgive  herself.  Why,  when  Jack  has 
been  her  naughtiest,  mother  never  misses  kissing 
her  good-night.  Last  night  Jack  had  to  be  put 
right  to  bed  for  punishment  and  before  I  went  to 
sleep  I  heard  mother  in  the  nursery  and  Jack  was 
crying,  then  when  mother  came  to  kiss  me  good- 
night I  saw  she  had  been  crying,  too.  She  is  such 
a  dear  mother." 

"She  must  be,"  said  the  little  lady,  her  voice 
a-tremble,  "and  you  are  right  to  feel  sorry  for  your 
grandmother.  She  needs  all  your  love  and  sym- 
pathy." 

"I  wonder  if  I  shall  ever  see  her,"  said  Nan  wist- 
fully. 

"  I  hope  so.     I  think  so." 

"And  may  I  see  the  picture?" 

"It  is  too  high  to  reach,  I  am  afraid." 


Nan's  Secret  55 

"Oh,  but  I  can  get  a  pole  or  something  and  lift 
up  the  cover,"  said  Nan,  quick  to  see  a  way. 

"Run,  then,  and  find  one." 

Nan  disappeared  and  soon  returned  with  an  an- 
cient broom,  the  handle  of  which  was  used  to  lift 
the  cover  sufficiently  so  that  by  the  dim  light  of 
the  candles,  which  her  friend  held  high,  Nan  beheld 
the  portrait  again. 

"Thank  you,  so  much,"  she  said  gratefully.  "I 
am  very  glad  you  are  kin  of  ours,  even  if  I  don't 
know  who  you  are.  I  love  you  and  I  am  going  to 
try  to  love  my  grandmother." 

The  little  lady  suddenly  put  her  arms  around  her 
and  held  her  close.  "You  are  a  dear,  dear  child, 
and  I  love  you,  too,"  she  said.  "Some  day  you 
shall  see  me  again.  Kiss  me,  Nancy." 

Nan  held  up  her  sweet  red  mouth  to  receive  the 
warm  kiss.  "  I  shall  be  seeing  your  grandmother 
before  long,"  said  her  friend,  holding  the  girl's  hands 
and  looking  tenderly  at  her. 

"  But  she  is  in  Europe." 

"And  are  there  no  steamers  that  cross  the 
ocean?" 

"  Are  you  going  there,  then  ?  " 

"That  is  my  intention." 

"Then,  are  you  going  to  tell  her  about  me  ?  Will 
she  care  to  know  ?  "  Nan  paused  before  she  said 


56  The  Four  Corners 

hesitatingly,  "Would  it  make  her  very  mad  if  I  sent 
a  kiss  to  her?" 

"Dear  child,  no.  It  would  make  her  very  glad, 
and  would  help  to  ease  her  sad  heart,  I  am 
sure." 

"  Then  I'll  do  it.  Take  this,  please."  Nan  pressed 
a  hearty  kiss  on  the  lady's  lips.  ' '  Then, "  she  added : 
"I  must  tell  mother,  you  know." 

"  Of  course.  You  may  tell  her  day  after  to-mor- 
row that  you  met  your  godmother." 

"My  fairy  godmother." 

"  As  you  like.  Now  you  must  run  along.  Good- 
bye till  we  meet  again.  One  more  kiss,  Nannie,  for 
your  Aunt  Helen." 

"Oh,  yes,  I  always  forget  her.  I  was  so  little 
when  I  last  saw  her,  you  know.  But  I'll  send  her 
a  kiss  if  you  want  me  to.  Good-bye,  dear  fairy 
godmother.  Ask  the  queen  of  the  fairies  to  send 
you  this  way  soon  again." 

The  candle-lighted  room,  the  little  white-haired 
figure,  the  shrouded  portrait  all  seemed  unreal  as 
Nan  stepped  out  again  into  the  bright  sunlight. 
She  longed  to  tell  her  mother  all  about  it,  but  she  re- 
flected that  the  secret  was  not  all  her  own  and  de- 
termined to  be  silent  till  the  time  was  up.  Only  one 
question  did  she  ask  and  the  answer  almost  made 
her  betray  herself.  "Mother,  "she  said  when  her 


Nan's  Secret  57 

mother  came  to  say  good-night,  "  who  was  my  god- 
mother ?  " 

"Your  Aunt  Helen,"  was  the  reply. 

Nan  sat  straight  up  in  bed  her  eyes  wide  with 
surprise.  "Why,  why,"  she  stammered,  but  she 
immediately  nestled  down  again. 

"Did  you  never  know  that  ?  "  asked  her  mother. 

"  If  I  did  I  forgot,"  replied  Nan,  and  she  lay  awake 
for  a  long  time  thinking  of  the  strangeness  of  the 
morning's  experience.  She  could  scarcely  wait  till 
the  time  rolled  around  and  brought  her  to  the  day 
when  she  could  tell  her  mother  the  story  of  her 
secret  meeting.  It  seemed  to  her  that  since  the  day 
before  yesterday  her  mental  self  had  grown  prodig- 
iously. Mary  Lee,  a  year  and  a  half  younger 
seemed  now  such  a  child,  although  heretofore 
she  had  been  considered  the  more  mature.  Once 
in  a  while  the  two  had  discussed  their  grandmother 
and  the  Corner  family,  but  Mary  Lee  was  not 
greatly  interested  in  the  subject  and  had  concluded 
the  conversation  by  saying:  "I  don't  care  a 
picayune  where  she  is  or  what  she  thinks.  She 
has  never  done  anything  for  me  and  she  might 
as  well  be  out  of  the  world  as  in  it,  as  far  as 
we  are  concerned.  I'm  never  going  to  bother  my 
head  about  her,  and  I  don't  see  why  you  want  to, 
Nan." 


58  The  Four  Corners 

This  crushing  indifference  satisfied  Nan  that  Mary 
Lee  was  not  to  be  confided  in  when  the  silent  house 
at  Uplands,  like  a  magnet,  drew  Nan  toward  it, 
and  she  was  rather  glad  that  she  did  not  want  to 
tell  any  one  but  her  mother,  for  had  a  sympathetic 
spirit  been  ready  to  hear  the  secret  would  have  been 
hard  to  keep. 

When  the  eventful  day  came  she  followed  Mrs. 
Corner  from  dining-room  to  pantry  and  from  pan- 
try to  kitchen  waiting  for  a  chance  to  give  her  con- 
fidence. "  When  shall  you  be  through,  mother  ?  " 
she  asked.  "  It  seems  as  if  you  had  so  much  more 
than  usual  to  do  this  morning." 

"No  more,  than  always,"  returned  her  mother. 
"Why  are  you  so  impatiently  following  me  up, 
Nan  ?  What  is  it  ?  Can't  you  tell  me  now  ?  " 

Nan  glanced  at  Mitty  and  the  washerwoman  who 
were  eating  their  breakfast.  "  It's  a  secret,"  she 
said  in  a  low  tone,  "  a  very  important  secret." 

Mrs.  Corner  smiled.  Nan's  secrets  were  not 
usually  of  great  importance  except  in  her  own  esti- 
mation. "  Well,  I  shall  be  in  my  room  as  soon  as  I 
give  out  the  meal  and  sugar;  you  can  come  to  me 
then,  if  you  can't  tell  me  here.  Suppose  you  pass 
the  time  away  in  looking  up  Jack.  It  is  about  time 
she  was  getting  into  mischief  again.  She  always 
chooses  Monday  morning  for  some  sort  of  escapade; 


Nan's  Secret  59 

1  suppose  keeping  bottled  up  over  Sunday  is  too 
much  for  her." 

"I'll  go  see  where  she  is,"  agreed  Nan.  "She 
won't  be  painting  the  fence  this  time,  I  know." 

Jack  was  discovered  before  a  tub  in  the  wash 
house.  In  the  absence  of  Ginny,  the  washerwoman, 
at  breakfast,  she  had  seized  the  opportunity  of  tak- 
ing her  place  and  was  about  to  plunge  her  best 
muslin  frock  into  the  water  with  the  stockings  and 
underwear  when  Nan  came  upon  her.  "Jacqueline 
Corner,  what  are  you  up  to  now  ? "  cried  Nan, 
snatching  the  frock  from  her. 

"I'm  just  helping  Ginny  to  wash,"  replied  Jack 
with  her  usual  air  of  injured  innocence  when  dis- 
covered under  such  circumstances. 

"  You  were  just  helping  Landy  when  you  wasted 
the  paint  and  ruined  your  blue  frock,"  said  Nan 
sarcastically.  "Walk  yourself  right  out  of  here. 
Ginny  is  perfectly  capable  of  doing  the  washing 
without  your  assistance.  Besides  that  lawn  frock 
doesn't  go  in  with  black  stockings;  a  pretty  mess 
you'd  make  of  it.  Ginny  won't  thank  you  for  mix- 
ing up  her  wash  when  she's  sorted  it  all  out.  Try 
your  energies  upon  something  you  know  about, 
young  lady." 

Jack  flung  herself  away.  "  You're  always  saying 
I  mustn't  do  this  and  I  mustn't  do  that,"  she  com- 


60  The  Four  Corners 

plained.  "You're  a  regular  old  cross-patch. 
You're  not  my  mother  to  order  me  around." 

"  Mother  sent  me  to  see  after  you,  so  there,"  re- 
turned Nan.  "  I'm  next  to  mother,  too,  for  I'm  next 
oldest.  Where's  Jean  ?" 

"I  don't  know  and  I  don't  care,"  returned  Jack, 
sullenly. 

"Who's  a  cross-patch  now?  Here  comes 
Ginny;  you'd  better  make  tracks  out  of  here." 

Jack  fled  and  Nan  returned  to  the  house  to  find 
her  mother  ready  to  sit  down  to  her  sewing.  The 
girl  carefully  shut  the  door  and  then  established 
herself  on  an  ottoman  near  her  mother.  "What 
does  my  Aunt  Helen  look  like  ?  "  she  asked  abruptly. 

Her  mother  looked  up  in  surprise.  "That's  the 
second  time  lately  that  you  have  asked  me  about 
your  Aunt  Helen.  Why  this  sudden  interest, 
Nannie  ?  " 

"  I'll  tell  you  presently.     It's  part  of  the  secret." 

"Oh,  it  is.  Well  then,  Helen  has  dark  hair  and 
blue  eyes,  a  fair  skin  and  little  hands  and  feet.  She 
is  quite  small,  not  much  taller  than  you." 

"It  all  sounds  right,"  said  Nan  reflectively, 
"  except  the  hair.  Is  she  quite  old,  mother?" 

"She  is  younger  than  I." 

"Oh,  then,  of  course,  it  is  some  one  else,  only  my 
little  lady  has  a  very  young  smile.  Maybe  she  isn't 


Nan's  Secret  61 

so  awfully  old.  Could  any  one  younger  than  you 
have  real  white  hair,  mother?" 

"Why,  yes,  I  have  seen  persons  much  younger 
whose  hair  had  turned  quite  gray.  Sometimes  hair 
turns  gray  quite  suddenly  from  illness  or  grief  or 
trouble." 

"Could  Aunt  Helen's  hair  be  gray  by  this  time?" 

"  It  could  be,  though  it  was  dark  when  I  saw  her 
last." 

Nan  pondered  upon  this  and  then  said:  "  Well, 
anyhow,  whoever  it  was,  she  told  me  I  was  to  tell 
you  that  she  was  my  godmother.  Did  I  have  two 
godmothers  ?  " 

"Yes,  but  I  was  one.  What  is  all  this  about? 
Whom  have  you  seen,  and  where  did  you  see  her  ?" 

Nan  launched  forth  into  her  story,  her  mother 
listening  so  attentively  that  her  sewing  lay  untouched 
in  her  lap.  When  Nan  had  concluded,  Mrs.  Corner 
picked  up  her  work  again,  but  she  was  so  agitated 
that  she  was  unable  to  thread  her  needle. 

"Who  was  she?   Who  was  she?"  queried  Nan. 

"Your  Aunt  Helen,  without  doubt." 

"But  I  thought  she  was  in  Europe  with  my 
grandmother." 

"  So  I  thought.  She  evidently  came  over  on  some 
matter  of  business,  leaving  your  grandmother 
there." 


62  The  Four  Corners 

"Are  you  sorry  I  saw  her,  mother?"  asked  Nan, 
leaning  her  elbows  on  her  mother's  lap  and  looking 
up  into  her  face.  "  I  told  her  I  ought  not  to  go  to 
Uplands  because  you  don't  like  us  to.  Are  you 
sorry  I  went  ?  Are  you  angry,  mother  ?" 

"No,  1  think  I  am  glad,  Nannie." 

"  Then  I  am  glad,  but  why  didn't  she  come  to  see 
you  when  she  was  so  near?  Did  she  say  mean 
horrid  things,  too?  1  can't  imagine  her  doing  any- 
thing hateful  and  mean." 

A  pained  expression  passed  over  Mrs.  Corner's 
face.  "What  do  you  know  about  that  sad  time, 
Nannie?  I  have  never  mentioned  it  to  you 
children." 

"No,  but  Unc'  Landy  told  me  grandmother  said 
bitter  things.  I  know  you  didn't  though." 

Mrs.  Corner  sighed.  "I  said  one  thing,  Nannie, 
that  I  have  often  regretted  since,  and  it  is  because  of 
it  that  your  Aunt  Helen  did  not  let  me  know  of  her 
being  here.  It  was  in  a  moment  of  deep  distress. 
1  was  hurt,  indignant.  I  felt  that  I  had  been  left 
desolate  with  insufficient  means  to  support  my 
children,  and  in  the  only  interview  I  had  with  your 
grandmother  I  said,  '  I  hope  I  shall  never  again 
behold  the  face  of  one  of  the  Corner  family  except 
the  children  of  my  beloved  husband  who  bear  his 
name. ' " 


Nan's  Secret  63 

"I  don't  blame  you,"  said  Nan,  taking  her 
mother's  hand  between  her  own.  "They  were 
horribly  mean  to  go  off  with  their  money  and  not 
give  you  a  penny.  They  ought  at  least  to  have  let 
you  live  in  the  big  house  and  use  the  piano." 

Her  mother  smiled.  "That  is  the  way  you  look 
at  it.  Well,  we  get  along  somehow  without  them, 
thanks  to  Aunt  Sarah.  I  am  sorry  I  did  not  try  to 
be  more  friendly  to  Helen.  She  was  dominated  by 
her  mother  and  it  was  no  doubt  a  choice  between 
her  and  you  children.  She  was  very  fond  of  you  as 
a  baby  and  she  has  not  forgotten.  Her  mother's 
sadly  jealous  and  envious  spirit  is  what  has  made 
all  the  trouble." 

"I  was  four  years  old  when  they  went  away," 
said  Nan.  "  I  don't  remember  them  at  all,  though  I 
remember  dear  daddy  perfectly." 

"  Let's  not  talk  of  it  any  more,"  said  Mrs.  Corner. 

"Aunt  Helen  said  we  might  see  each  other  again 
some  day.  Do  you  suppose  they  will  come  back 
and  will  be  nice  to  us  and  let  us  go  up  there  some- 
times?" 

"We  cannot  say.  I  do  not  look  into  the  future  to 
find  such  possibilities,  Nannie.  You  must  not  build 
too  many  air-castles." 

"  Oh,  but  1  like  to,"  replied  Nan.  "  It's  lots  of  fun 
to  do  it  and  if  they  don't  amount  to  anything  I've 


64  The  Four  Corners 

had  the  fun  of  the  building  and  nobody's  hurt  when 
they  tumble  down." 

"In  that  case  I  suppose  it  doesn't  make  much 
difference,  and  when  one  is  naturally  a  castle-builder 
it  is  hard  to  give  up  the  habit." 

"It  isn't  as  bad  as  sucking  one's  fingers  as  Jean 
does,  for  it  doesn't  put  my  mouth  out  of  shape;  it 
only  amuses  me  and  I  often  forget  my  castles  an 
hour  after  they  are  ten  stories  high.  I  suppose  I  am 
not  to  tell  the  children  about  Aunt  Helen." 

"I  think  I  wouldn't  yet." 

"No,"  said  Nan  with  a  mature  air.  "  I  think  it's 
best  not.  They  mightn't  understand.  Besides,  as 
she  isn't  a  polywog  nor  a  newly  hatched  bird,  Mary 
Lee  wouldn't  be  very  much  interested  in  her." 


CHAPTER  IV 
A   MOTHER'S   SECRET 


CHAPTER  IV 
A  MOTHER'S  SECRET 

THE  first  days  of  autumn  brought  back  school 
days.  Aunt  Sarah  had  gone  to  visit  a  nephew  in 
lower  Maryland,  leaving  behind  her  mementoes  in 
the  form  of  the  coat  of  paint  for  the  front  fence,  a 
new  cover  for  the  living-room  table,  and  many 
stitches  put  in  made-over  garments  for  the  children. 
She  had  further  dispensed  her  bounty  in  a  direction 
of  which  the  children  as  yet  knew  nothing,  and  it 
was  Nan  who  first  heard  of  it  from  her  mother. 

Aunt  Sarah's  absence  was  felt  in  more  ways  than 
one.  Mrs.  Corner  was  her  favorite  niece.  A  tiny 
grave  in  the  old  churchyard  marked  the  resting  place 
of  her  namesake,  Nan's  elder  sister,  who  was  her 
mother's  first-born  and  who  lived  but  three  short 
months.  It  may  have  been  that  Aunt  Sarah's  heart 
went  out  more  tenderly  toward  her  own  sister's 
child  because  of  this  loss  which  was  so  heavy  a  grief 
to  them  both,  but  whether  it  was  because  of  this 
bond  between  them  or  because  they  mutually  loved 
and  respected  each  other,  it  is  true  that  any  sacrifices 
which  Miss  Dent  felt  she  could  make  she  made  for 


68  The  Four  Corners 

the  Corner  family,  and  when  she  was  with  them  no 
task  was  too  heavy  for  her,  and  her  wise  counsel 
and  helpful  hands  were  greatly  missed  by  Mrs. 
Corner. 

It  was  just  after  Aunt  Sarah's  departure,  and  while 
school  was  still  a  novelty,  that  Nan,  running  in  to 
tell  her  mother  of  the  day's  doings,  noticed  that  Mrs. 
Corner  was  sewing  not  for  one  of  the  children  but 
for  herself.  This  was  so  unusual  that  Nan  re- 
marked it,  and  forgetting  her  school  gossip  ex- 
claimed, "Why,  mother,  you  are  making  a  new 
frock !  Where  did  you  get  it  ?  " 

Her  mother  dropped  her  work  with  a  sigh.  Nan 
noticed  that  the  dear  face  was  pale  and  sad.  "Aunt 
Sarah  gave  it  to  me,"  was  the  answer.  There  was 
silence  for  a  few  moments  after  this,  while  Mrs. 
Corner  went  on  with  her  work  of  measuring  off  the 
black  breadths.  "I  have  something  to  tell  you, 
little  daughter,"  she  then  said.  "You  had  a  secret 
to  tell  me  a  little  while  ago,  and  now  I  have  one  to 
tell  you."  She  paused.  "It  isn't  a  happy  secret, 
Nan,"  she  went  on,  "but  as  you  are  my  eldest 
and  my  staff  to  lean  upon,  you  must  try  to  help  me 
bear  it  without  rebelling." 

Nan  grew  very  sober.  This  was  such  a  melan- 
choly beginning  that  she  feared  what  might  follow, 
but  being  a  young  person  who  never  thrust  aside 


A  Mother's  Secret  69 

unpleasant  things  when  she  knew  they  must  be  met 
she  said  firmly,  "  Don't  bother  about  me,  mother  ; 
I'll  be  as  brave  as  a  lion." 

The  scissors  snipped  along  the  edges  of  the  pattern 
while  Mrs.  Corner  bent  over  her  work.  Presently 
she  said,  "It  is  this,  Nannie:  that  I  must  leave  you 
for  awhile." 

All  sorts  of  notions  flew  to  Nan's  mind.  Was 
her  mother  perhaps  going  to  Europe  to  hunt  up  her 
Aunt  Helen  ?  Was  she  going  to  see  Cousin  Henry 
Dent  in  Maryland  ?  "  Oh,  mother,"  she  cried,  "tell 
me  quick.  Where  are  you  going?" 

"  I  am  going  to  the  Adirondacks,  Nannie." 

"  The  Adirondacks  ?"  Nan  looked  the  surprise  she 
felt.  "Why  in  the  world  are  you  going  there? 
"  You  don't  know  any  one  up  in  those  regions,  do 
you  ? " 

"No,  and  that  makes  it  harder.  I  am  going  for 
my  health,  Nannie." 

The  blood  forsook  Nan's  cheeks.  She  felt  as  if 
she  were  sinking  down,  down,  and  it  took  all  her 
effort  to  check  a  rising  sob.  All  she  did,  however, 
was  to  hold  her  nether  lip  closely  between  her  teeth 
and  to  draw  a  quivering  sigh.  Then  she  gasped 
out:  "Oh,  mother,  mother,  it  doesn't  mean — it 
can't  mean " 

"It  doesn't  mean  anything  very  serious — yet," 


jo  The  Four  Corners 

said  Mrs.  Corner  dropping  her  scissors  and  sitting 
down  by  Nan's  side.  "  But  the  doctor  says  if  I  go 
now  the  tendency  will  probably  be  overcome.  If  I 
stay  it  may  mean  that  the  disease  will  get  the  better 
of  me,  and  dear  Aunt  Sarah  has  made  it  possible  for 
me  to  go.  Only  a  few  months,  Nan,  and  Aunt 
Sarah  will  come  and  stay  with  you  while  I  am  away. 
Now,  I  want  you  to  stand  by  Aunt  Sarah.  She  has 
made,  and  will  continue  to  make  every  sacrifice  for 
your  mother,  and  you  must  make  sacrifices  for  her." 

"Oh,  I  will,"  cried  Nan.  "I  won't  touch  the 
melodeon,  and  I  won't  nag  the  others  any  more  than 
I  can  help.  Aunt  Sarah  is  good.  Oh,  I  know  she 
is  so  good,  but  she  isn't — she  isn't — you."  This 
time  the  tears  would  have  their  way  and  they  began 
to  course  down  Nan's  cheeks  though  she  sat  up 
straight  and  tried  to  blink  them  away.  "And — 
and" — she  went  on,  "she  doesn't — it's  hard  to  make 
her  understand  things  like  it's  not  always  being  a 
waste  of  time  to  do  what  you  like  and  all  that." 

"I  know,  but,  dear,  remember  that  persons 
are  very  likely  to  respond  to  what  you  expect  of 
them,  and  you  will  find  Aunt  Sarah  very  sympa- 
thetic if  you  take  her  the  right  way." 

Nan  was  not  at  all  sure  that  she  could  find  that 
right  way  but  she  did  not  say  so.  She  only  looked 
at  her  toes  very  mournfully  and  wondered  if  it  had 


A  Mother's  Secret  71 

happened  to  be  Aunt  Helen  instead  of  great-aunt 
Sarah  who  was  to  be  left  in  charge  whether  she 
would  have  minded  it  so  much. 

"No  mother  could  have  had  my  interests  more  at 
heart,"  continued  Mrs.  Corner.  "  Think  how  she 
has  toiled  and  sacrificed  herself  for  me,  and  it  is 
entirely  due  to  her  that  I  am  able  to  go,  for  not  only 
has  she  provided  the  money  for  my  journey,  an  ex- 
pensive one,  but  she  has  thought  of  a  way  to  pay 
my  board  while  I  am  away,  and  it  is  just  here,  Nan, 
that  I  shall  have  to  depend  upon  you  to  stand  by 
Aunt  Sarah.  Cousin  Tom  Gordon's  two  boys  are 
to  board  here  and  go  to  school.  They  want  to  pre- 
pare for  the  University  and  it  seems  a  godsend  that 
they  are  coming  this  year,  for  it  will  make  my  going 
away  possible.  Of  course  this  is  a  new  element. 
Two  boys  coming  into  a  family  will  make  new  con- 
ditions and  you  must  consider  that  Aunt  Sarah  is 
very  unselfishly  and  devotedly  undertaking  a  greater 
responsibility  than  we  have  any  right  to  ask  of  her. 
So,  Nan,  try  to  play  the  part  of  peacemaker  always. 
Be  the  sweetener  of  tart  speeches ;  be  the  sunshine 
that  drives  away  the  clouds.  Aunt  Sarah  loves  you 
and  appreciates  you,  though  she  has  a  little  crisp  way 
which  your  over-sensitiveness  finds  harsh.  Never 
mind  that.  Be  patient  and  wise  and  sweet,  so  will 
you  help  your  mother  and  bring  her  back  speedily." 


72  The  Four  Corners 

"  I'll  try,  oh,  I'll  try,"  said  Nan.  This  was  a  secret 
indeed.-  What  plans  !  What  changes  !  "When  do 
the  boys  come,  and  when  do  you  go?"  she 
asked. 

"  I  go  next  week.  Aunt  Sarah  will  try  to  be  here 
before  I  leave  and  before  the  boys  arrive.  They  ex- 
pect to  get  here  on  the  fifteenth." 

"Such  a  little  while  ;  such  a  little  while."  Nan 
caught  her  mother's  hand  and  covered  it  with 
kisses.  And  when  shall  you  be  back  ?"  she  asked. 

"  That  I  cannot  say.  It  will  depend  upon  what  the 
doctors  say." 

Nan  sat  holding  her  mother's  hand  against  her 
cheek.  It  would  be  their  first  separation  and  it  would 
be  a  hard  one.  Every  now  and  then  the  tears 
gushed  to  her  eyes,  though  she  tried  to  force  them 
back.  "Are  you  going  to  tell  the  others  why  you 
are  going?"  she  asked. 

"No,"  returned  Mrs.  Corner  slowly.  "I  think 
we  will  not  tell  them  just  why."  That  we  gave  Nan 
a  sense  of  partnership  in  these  schemes.  It  elevated 
her  to  a  place  beside  her  mother  and  Aunt  Sarah. 
She  was  their  confidante  and  it  behooved  her  to  ad- 
just her  shoulder  to  a  certain  burden  of  responsi- 
bility. 

"Tell  me  about  the  boys,"  she  said.  "Are  they 
nice  boys  ?  " 


A  Mother's  Secret  73 

"I  hope  so.  If  they  are  not  you  must  try  to 
make  them  so.  Their  names  are  Randolph  and 
Ashby.  Randolph  is  a  year  older  than  you  and 
Ashby  a  year  younger." 

"Where  will  they  sleep?"  asked  Nan,  coming 
down  to  practical  things. 

"They  can  have  the  room  Aunt  Sarah  always 
occupies  and  she  can  sleep  in  my  room  with  Jean 
and  Jack." 

"Will  she  like  that?  Couldn't  Mary  Lee  and  I 
go  into  your  room  and  let  the  boys  have  ours? 
Your  room  is  so  big  and  with  two  double  beds  in  it 
we  could  do  very  well.  Aunt  Sarah  always  likes 
that  southwest  room  and  it  would  be  warmer  in 
winter." 

Mrs.  Corner  looked  pleased  at  this  evidence  of 
consideration.  "I  am  sure  that  would  be  a  much 
more  comfortable  plan  for  all  but  you  and  Mary 
Lee.  It  would  be  some  trouble  to  move  all  your 
belongings.  I  thought  the  other  way  would  be 
more  convenient ;  still,  if  you  don't  mind " 

"Oh,  no,  we  won't  let  ourselves  mind,"  said 
Nan;  then,  a  little  shamefacedly,  "besides,  it  would 
seem  more  like  being  near  you  to  sleep  in  your 
bed." 

Her  mother  gave  the  hand  that  held  hers  a  little 
squeeze.  "Now,  I  must  go  on  with  my  work," 


74  The  Four  Corners 

she  said.      "  I  shall   have  to  get  this  done  before  I 

go." 

"  Can't  I  help  ?  "  asked  Nan  eagerly. 

"Not  on  this,  I'm  afraid." 

"  Then  I'll  do  the  other  things  that  you  do.  I'll 
go  see  if  Mitty  has  everything  out  for  supper."  She 
picked  up  the  key  basket  but  paused  before  leaving 
the  room.  "May  I  tell  Mary  Lee  and  the  twins 
about  the  boys  coming  and  your  going  if  I  don't  tell 
why?" 

"Yes,  I  shall  be  glad  if  you  would."  And  Nan 
flew  to  assume  the  important  office  of  giving  infor- 
mation which  would  cause  a  sensation. 

She  found  Mary  Lee  placidly  nursing  a  decrepit 
duck  which  had  fallen  into  the  slop  barrel,  showing 
in  her  pursuit  of  dainties  an  eagerness  which  did  not 
accord  with  her  age.  Having  been  rescued  and  well 
washed  by  Mary  Lee,  she  was  now  lying  in  that 
young  person' s  lap  rolled  in  an  old  bit  of  horse 
blanket,  her  restless  eyes  alone  giving  evidence  of 
her  uncurbed  ambition. 

"Come  here,  Mary  Lee,  I  have  a  mighty  big 
piece  of  news  to  tell  you,"  cried  Nan.  "  I'm  going 
to  tell  you  first." 

"You  come  here,"  said  Mary  Lee.  "I  can't  put 
the  duck  down  till  she  gets  dry." 

44  How  ridiculous !    As  if  a  duck  cared  whether 


A  Mother's  Secret  75 

she  was  wet  or  dry,"  said  Nan,  going  up  and  giving 
the  duck  a  friendly  poke,  eliciting  a  remonstrative 
"  Quack  ! " 

"You'd  care  if  you  had  fallen  into  a  slop  barrel 
and  had  to  be  dipped  out  in  a  bucket  and  lathered 
all  over  and  rinsed  off,"  said  Mary  Lee. 

"I  wouldn't  be  so  foolish  as  to  fall  into  a  slop 
barrel  in  the  first  place.  Ducks  are  such  greedy 
things.  I  don't  see  how  she  got  up  there." 

"She  walked  up  a  board  like  anybody,"  re- 
turned Mary  Lee. 

"  Well,  anywhere  that  she  could  swim  would 
have  done  for  her  bath.  It  was  silly  to  go  through 
all  that  fuss  of  bathing  her  when  she's  just  a  duck 
that  loves  water  like  any  other  duck." 

"What  is  your  news?"  asked  Mary  Lee,  chang- 
ing the  subject.  "  I  don't  believe  it's  anything  much. 
You  always  get  so  excited  over  trifles." 

"  I  reckon  you  won't  call  this  a  trifle,"  replied 
Nan,  "  when  I  tell  you  that  mother  is  going  away 
for  weeks  and  that  Aunt  Sarah  is  coming  back  to 
look  after  us,  and  that  Randolph  and  Ashby  Gordon 
are  coming  here  to  board  all  winter.  I  should  think 
that  was  something  to  get  excited  over,"  she  said 
triumphantly. 

Mary  Lee  stared.  "  You're  making  it  all  up  just 
to  fool  me." 


76  The  Four  Corners 

"I'm  not,  either.  What  in  the  world  would  I 
want  to  do  that  for  ?  It's  true,  every  word  of  it. 
You  can  ask  mother  if  it  isn't." 

"  What's  she  going  for?"  asked  Mary  Lee. 

"Oh,  just  because.  Grown  people  have  their 
reasons  for  doing  things  and  we  can't  always  be 
told  them,"  replied  Nan,  with,  it  must  be  said, 
rather  a  condescending  air. 

"Do  you  know  why?"  asked  her  sister,  deter- 
mined upon  getting  to  the  heart  of  the  matter. 

"  Maybe  I  do,  and  maybe  I  don't." 

"If  you  do,  I  think  you  are  downright  mean  not 
to  tell  me.  I'm  'most  as  old  as  you,  and  she's  my 
mother  as  much  as  she  is  yours." 

These  latter  facts  Nan  could  not  deny,  so  she 
answered  weakly,  "Well,  anyhow,  I  shan't 
tell." 

Mary  Lee  was  slow  to  wrath,  but  once  aroused 
she  did  not  hesitate  to  speak  her  worst.  She  de- 
posited her  roll  of  horse  blanket  upon  the  ground 
and  the  duck  with  satisfied  quacks  waddled  forth 
from  the  encumbering  folds,  glad  of  her  freedom. 
"You  are  altogether  too  high  and  mighty,  Nancy 
Weston  Corner,"  said  Mary  Lee,  quite  outraged  by 
Nan's  refusal.  "You're  a  scurvy  old  pullet,  so 
there!" 

"I  like  your  way  of  calling  names,"  returned  Nan 


A  Mother's  Secret  77 

contemptuously.  "I  should  think  any  one  could 
tell  that  you  had  been  near  a  slop  barrel;  you  talk 
like  it." 

Mary  Lee  did  not  wait  for  further  words,  but  fled 
to  her  mother,  Nan  following,  taking  the  shorter 
way  and  reaching  her  mother  first.  "  I  tried  to  tell 
Mary  Lee  without  saying  why,"  she  began  breath- 
lessly, "  and  she  called  me  a  horrid  name,  so  1  don't 
know  how  it  will  turn  out." 

"I  think  we  shall  have  to  tell  her,"  said  Mrs. 
Corner.  "I  did  not  realize  that  it  might  be  difficult 
for  you." 

"She's  coming  now,"  said  Nan. 

Mary  Lee's  footsteps  were  hastily  approaching. 
She  burst  into  the  room  with,  "Mother,  is  it  true 
that  you  are  going  away  ?  " 

"Yes,  dear  child." 

"What  for?  Nan  was  so  mean  and  wouldn't 
tell  me." 

"I  didn't  give  Nan  permission  to  tell  you  why  I 
was  going." 

"She  needn't  have  been  so  disagreeable  about  it 
though,"  said  Mary  Lee.  "  Why  didn't  she  say  that 
you  told  her  not  to  tell  ?  " 

"You  didn't  give  me  a  chance,"  put  in  Nan. 
"You  called  me  a  scurvy  old  pullet  before  I  could 
explain." 


78  The  Four  Corners 

"What  a  name,  Mary  Lee,"  said  Mrs.  Corner 
reprovingly.  "  Where  did  you  hear  it  ?  " 

"Phil  says  it." 

"  Don't  say  it  again.  If  you  lose  your  temper  like 
that  and  cannot  bridle  your  tongue,  I  am  afraid  your 
mother  will  have  many  sorry  moments  while  she  is 
away  trying  to  regain  her  health." 

In  an  instant  Mary  Lee  was  on  her  knees  by  her 
mother's  side.  "Are  you  ill,  mother?"  she  asked 
anxiously. 

"  Not  very,  but  I  may  be  if  I  do  not  have  a  change 
of  climate,  so  I  am  going  to  take  a  trip.  I  have 
hardly  left  this  place  for  eight  years  and  more.  I 
shall  come  back  trig  as  a  trivet,  Mary  Lee,  so  don't 
be  troubled  about  me." 

Nan  left  her  mother  to  explain  matters  further  and 
sought  the  twins  who  were  amicably  swinging 
under  a  big  tree.  As  she  unfolded  her  news  to 
them  the  point  which  at  first  seemed  to  be  most 
important  was  the  coming  of  the  two  boys.  Jack 
objected  to  their  arrival,  Jean  welcomed  it,  and 
straightway  they  began  a  discussion  in  the  midst  of 
which  Nan  left  them.  Her  brain  was  buzzing  with 
the  many  thoughts  which  her  interview  with  her 
mother  suggested.  She  determined  to  be  zealous  in 
good  works,  and  immediately  hunted  up  Mitty  that 
she  might  see  that  all  was  going  well  in  the  kitchen. 


A  Mother's  Secret  79 

Mitty  had  not  much  respect  for  one  younger  than 
herself  and  paid  no  attention  when  Nan  entered,  but 
kept  on  singing  in  a  high  shrill  key: 

"  Whe-e-en  Eve  eat  de  apple, 
Whe-e-e-en  Eve  eat  de  apple, 
Whe-en  Eve  eat  de  apple, 
Lord,  what  a  try-y-in'  time." 

"Mitty,  have  you  everything  out  for  supper?" 
asked  Nan  with  her  mother's  manner. 

Mitty  rolled  her  eyes  in  Nan's  direction,  but 
vouchsafed  no  reply,  continuing  to  sing  in  a  little 
higher  key: 

"  When  she-e  gabe  de  co'  to  Adam 
Whe-en  she  gabe  de  co'  to  Adam 
Whe-e-en  she  gabe  de  co'  to  Adam, 
Lord,  what  a  try-y-yin'  time." 

"I  want  to  know,"  repeated  Nan  severely,  "if 
you  have  everything  out  for  supper  ?" 

"  I  has  what  I  has,"  returned  Mitty,  breaking  some 
splinters  of  wood  across  her  knee. 

"I  wish  you'd  answer  me  properly,"  said  Nan, 
impatiently. 

"  Yuh  ain'  de  lady  ob  de  house,"  returned  Mitty, 
provokingly.  "Yuh  ain'  but  jest  a  little  peepin' 
chick.  Yuh  ain'  even  fryin'  size  yet." 


8o  The  Four  Corners 

"  I  think  when  mother  sends  me  with  a  message, 
it  is  your  place  to  answer  me,"  said  Nan  with  her 
head  in  the  air.  "I  will  see  if  Unc'  Landy  can  get 
you  to  tell  me  what  mother  wants  to  know."  And 
she  stalked  out. 

As  Unc'  Landy  was  Mitty's  grandfather,  and  the 
only  being  of  whom  she  stood  in  awe,  this  had  its 
effect.  "I  tell  yuh,  Miss  Nan,  'deed  an'  'deed  I 
will,"  cried  Mitty,  running  after  her  and  hastily 
enumerating  the  necessary  articles  to  be  given  out 
from  the  pantry.  "'Tain'  no  buttah,  'tain'  no 
sugah,  jest  a  little  bit  o'  co'n  meal.  Oh,  Miss  Nan! " 

But  Nan  had  passed  beyond  hearing  and  was 
resolutely  turning  her  steps  toward  Unc'  Landy's 
quarters,  a  comfortable  brick  cabin  which  stood 
about  fifty  yards  from  the  house.  The  old  man 
was  sitting  before  its  door  industriously  mending  a 
hoe-handle.  It  was  not  often  that  Nan  complained 
of  Mitty,  for  she,  too,  well  knew  the  effect  of  such 
a  course.  Upon  this  occasion,  however,  she  felt 
that  her  future  authority  depended  upon  establish- 
ing present  relations  and  that  it  would  never  do  to 
let  Mitty  know  she  had  worsted  the  eldest  daughter 
of  the  house.  "Unc'  Landy,  I  wish  you'd  speak 
to  Mitty,"  said  Nan.  "She  wouldn't  tell  me  what 
to  give  out  for  supper  and  mother  gave  me  the  keys 
to  attend  to  it  for  her;  she's  busy  sewing." 


A  Mother's  Secret  81 

Unc'  Landy  seized  the  hoe-handle  upon  which  he 
was  at  work,  and  made  an  energetic  progress  to- 
ward the  kitchen,  catching  the  unlucky  Mitty  as 
she  was  about  to  flee.  Brandishing  his  hoe-handle, 
he  threateningly  cried:  "  Wha'  yo'  mannahs?  I 
teach  yuh  show  yo'  sassy  ways  to  one  of  de 
fambly ! " 

Up  went  Mitty's  arm  to  defend  herself  from  the 
impending  blow  while  she  whimpered  forth:  "I 
done  say  'tain'  no  buttah; 'tain'  no  sugah;  the's  a 
little  bit  o'  meal;  an'  Miss  Nan  ain'  hyah  me." 

"  Ef  I  bus'  yo'  haid  open  den  mebbe  she  kin  hyah 
yuh  nex'  time,"  said  Unc'  Landy  catching  the  girl's 
shoulder  and  beginning  to  bang  her  head  against  the 
door. 

But  here  Nan,  feeling  that  Mitty  was  scared  into 
good  behavior  interfered.  "  That  will  do,  Unc' 
Landy.  If  she  told  me,  it  is  all  right." 

"She  gwine  speak  loudah  an'  quickah  nex'  time," 
said  Unc'  Landy,  shaking  his  hoe-handle  at  Mitty. 
"  Yuh  tell  Miss  Nan  what  she  ast  yuh,  er  I'll  fetch 
Mr.  Hoe  ober  hyah  agin  an'  try  both  ends,  so  yuh 
see  which  yuh  lak  bes'."  And  he  went  off  mutter- 
ing about  "dese  yer  no  'count  young  niggahs 
what  so  busy  tryin'  to  be  sma't  dey  ain'  no  time  to 
larn  sense." 

The  thoroughly  humbled  Mitty  meekly  answered 


82  The  Four  Corners 

all  Nan's  questions  and  Nan  felt  that  she  was  forti- 
fied with  authority  for  some  time  to  come. 

Nan  was  always  shocked  and  repelled  by  Unc' 
Landy's  methods,  and  only  in  extreme  cases  was  she 
willing  to  appeal  to  him.  Such  appeals,  sometimes 
bringing  swifter  and  more  extreme  punishment,  so 
affected  Nan  as  to  make  her  avoid  Unc'  Landy  for 
days.  He  was  always  so  very  tender  and  cour- 
teous to  every  member  of  the  "  fambly  "  that  it 
seemed  almost  incredible  that  he  should  be  so 
merciless  to  one  of  his  own  flesh  and  blood,  but 
such  was  a  common  attitude  of  the  older  negroes 
toward  the  younger  ones,  and  his  was  not  an  un- 
usual case.  When  Mrs.  Corner  was  on  hand  she 
never  permitted  the  old  man  to  exercise  his  rights 
toward  Mitty,  but  once  or  twice  when  the  girl  had 
overstepped  bounds  in  his  presence,  he  had  meted 
out  punishment  to  her  later  on,  so  she  feared  him 
while  she  respected  him,  praising  him  lavishly  to 
her  boon  companions. 

"Gran'daddy  got  a  pow'ful  long  ahm,"  she 
would  say,  "  an'  man,  I  say  he  swif  an'  strong,  mos' 
lak  angel  Gabr'el  wid  he  swo'd  an'  trumpet.  I  mos' 
as  feared  o'  gran'daddy  as  I  is  o'  angel  Gabr'el.  Ef 
gran'daddy  call  me  an'  angel  Gabr'el  blow  he 
trumpet  at  de  same  time  I  don'  know  which  1 


A  Mother's  Secret  83 

bleedged    to    min'.       I    specs   I   run    a  bilin'  to 
gran'daddy  fust." 

Having  established  her  position  in  the  kitchen, 
Nan  returned  to  her  mother.  Every  moment 
seemed  precious  now,  and  that  night  after  Mary 
Lee  was  asleep,  Nan  crept  softly  from  her  bed  and 
laid  herself  down  by  her  mother  whose  arms 
clasped  her  close,  but  who  did  not  allow  her  to 
remain.  "It  is  not  well  for  you  to  sleep  with  me, 
dear,"  she  said.  "  It  will  be  better  for  us  both  if 
you  go  back  to  your  own  room."  Nan  obeyed,  but 
it  was  an  anxious  hour  that  she  spent  before  sleep 
visited  her.  The  night  hours  brought  her  many 
forebodings,  and  she  felt  that  her  young  spirit  was 
stretching  beyond  the  limits  of  childhood  toward 
that  larger  and  less  happy  region  of  womanhood. 


CHAPTER  V 
HOUSEWIFELY  CARES 


CHAPTER    V 
HOUSEWIFELY    CARES 

THE  day  for  Mrs.  Corner's  departure  came  around 
all  too  soon.  Aunt  Sarah  was  to  have  arrived  the 
evening  before,  but  up  to  the  last  moment  she  had 
not  come,  and  Mrs.  Corner  felt  that  she  could  not 
wait  since  all  her  arrangements  were  made.  "  I  am 
positive  she  will  be  here  to-day,"  she  told  Nan, 
"  probably  by  the  noon  train,  and  the  boys  will  not 
come  till  to-morrow,  so  you  will  have  no  trouble, 
even  if  Aunt  Sarah  should  not  come  till  night." 

There  were  many  tears  and  embraces  at  the  last 
moment.  Even  Jean's  placidity  was  disturbed  and 
when  the  train  which  held  her  mother,  moved  out 
of  sight,  she  flung  herself  in  Nan's  arms  sobbing, 
"  Oh,  I  didn't  want  her  to  go,  I  didn't." 

Jack  rubbed  her  eyes  with  none  too  clean  fists  and 
reiterated  :  "  I  promised  I'd  be  good  ;  I  promised 
I'd  be  good."  As  for  Mary  Lee  she  slipped  an  arm 
around  her  elder  sister,  but  "  Oh,  Nan  !  Oh,  Nan  !  " 
was  all  she  could  say.  Nan  herself  bravely  kept 
back  the  tears  but  her  feeling  of  helplessness  and 
desolation  was  almost  more  than  she  could  bear. 


88  The  Four  Corners 

Mother,  who  had  never  left  them  for  so  much  as  a 
night,  gone  far  away  where  they  could  not  and 
should  not  reach  her.  No  one  to  advise,  to  comfort, 
to  sympathize.  No  one  to  confide  in.  It  was  all 
blackness  and  darkness  without  that  blessed  mother. 

Four  very  sober  children  returned  to  the  house  to 
eat  their  dinner  alone.  Even  the  importance  of  sit- 
ting at  the  head  of  the  table  brought  no  joy  to  Nan, 
and  the  fact  that  Phil's  mother  had  sent  them  over  a 
dish  of  frozen  custard  brought  none  of  them  any 
great  enjoyment. 

Mitty  had  taken  advantage  of  the  occasion  to  an- 
nounce that  she  was  going  to  a  "  fessible."  She  in- 
formed Nan  that  she  had  asked  Mrs.  Corner's  con- 
sent weeks  before  and  had  been  told  that  when  the 
Sons  and  Daughters  of  Moses  and  Aaron  had  their 
"  fessible  "  she  could  go.  There  was  really  nothing 
to  say,  and  Mitty,  adorned  in  a  rattling,  stiffly 
starched  petticoat  over  which  as  stiffly  a  starched 
pink  lawn  stood  out  magnificently,  started  forth, 
bearing  her  purple  parasol  and  wearing  her  brilliant 
yellow  hat  trimmed  with  blue  roses. 

"She  certainly  is  a  sight,"  remarked  Mary  Lee, 
watching  Mitty's  exit.  "Wouldn't  her  feathers 
drop  if  she  should  get  wet  ?  Oh,  Nan,  I  do  believe 
a  thunder-storm  is  coming  up.  Look  at  that  black 
cloud." 


Housewifely  Cares  89 

"  Now  don't  begin  to  be  scary,"  said  Nan,  coming 
to  the  window.  If  there  was  one  thing  above  an- 
other of  which  Mary  Lee  was  scared  it  was  a  thun- 
der-storm ;  it  completely  demoralized  her,  and  she 
would  always  retire  to  the  darkest  corner,  crouching 
there  in  dread  of  each  flash  of  lightning  and  clap  of 
thunder.  Nan  scanned  the  sky  and  then  said  calmly, 
"Well,  I  think  it  is  very  likely  we  will  have  a 
shower  ;  we  generally  do  when  the  Sons  and  Daugh- 
ters have  their  festival." 

It  had  been  a  sultry  day,  and  the  low-hanging 
clouds  began  to  increase  in  mass,  showing  jagged 
edges,  and  following  one  another  up  the  sky,  black, 
threatening,  rolling  forms.  In  the  course  of  half  an 
hour,  the  first  peal  of  distant  thunder  came  to  their 
ears  and  Mary  Lee  began  to  tremble.  "  It  seems  a 
thousand  times  worse  when  mother  isn't  here," 
she  complained.  "  It  seems  dreadful  for  us  four 
children  to  be  here  all  alone.  Suppose  the  lightning 
should  strike  the  house." 

"Then  mother  would  be  safe,"  said  Nan,  exult- 
antly. 

"  But  it  wouldn't  do  her  any  good  if  we  should 
all  be  killed,"  Mary  Lee  returned  lugubriously. 

"Suppose  it  should  strike  the  train  mother  is 
in  ?  "  said  Jean  in  a  frightened  tone. 

"Oh,  it  couldn't,"  Nan  reassured  her.     "It  goes 


90  The  Four  Corners 

so  fast  that  it  would  get  beyond  the  storm.  The 
sun  is  probably  shining  bright  where  mother  is  by 
this  time." 

This  was  more  comforting  ;  nevertheless  Mary 
Lee's  fears  increased  in  proportion  to  the  loudness 
of  the  thunderclaps.  "I'm  sure  we  are  not  safe 
here,"  she  declared.  "It  is  getting  worse  and 
worse,  Nan."  A  terrific  crash  which  seemed  to  come 
from  directly  overhead  gave  proof  to  the  truth  of 
her  words.  Jean  clung  to  her  and  even  Jack  looked 
scared.  Mary  Lee  cowered  down  in  the  corner  and 
covered  her  face. 

"Come,  I'll  tell  you  what  we'll  do,"  said  Nan, 
though  by  no  means  unaffrighted  herself  ;  "  we'll 
do  what  Aunt  Sarah's  grandmother  used  to  do  ; 
we'll  all  go  up-stairs  ;  it's  safer  there,  and  we'll  pile 
all  the  pillows  on  mother's  bed — we'll  pull  it  into 
the  middle  of  the  room  first — and  then  we'll  all  get 
on  it  and  say  hymns.  There  isn't  any  feather-bed 
like  they  used  to  have,  but  the  pillows  will  an- 
swer the  same  purpose.  Come,  Mary  Lee."  They 
all  rushed  up-stairs,  and,  between  thunderclaps, 
gathered  pillows  from  the  different  rooms,  and  then 
established  themselves  upon  them  in  the  middle  of 
the  bed. 

"Aunt  Sarah  said  they  never  used  to  feel  afraid 
when  their  grandmother  commenced  to  say  the 


Housewifely  Cares  91 

hymns,  and  she  taught  me  the  best  one  to  say.  Keep 
still,  Jack,  and  I'll  say  it."  A  second  violent  crash  of 
thunder  drowned  her  words  and  Mary  Lee  threw 
herself  prone  upon  her  face,  calling  out  :  "  Put  some 
pillows  over  me  so  I  can't  see  nor  hear." 

"We  can't;  we're  sitting  on  them,"  returned 
Nan.  "You  are  perfectly  safe,  Mary  Lee.  Now 
listen  and  you  won't  mind  the  thunder."  And  she 
began  the  fine  old  hymn  : 

"  God  moves  in  a  mysterious  way 

His  wonders  to  perform, 
He  plants  His  footsteps  on  the  sea, 
And  rides  upon  the  storm." 

"It  scares  me  for  Him  to  ride  upon  the  storm," 
faltered  Jean. 

"  But  you  know  if  He  is  in  the  storm,  He  is  right 
here  to  take  care  of  us,"  said  Nan,  reassuringly. 
Jean  was  satisfied.  Even  Mary  Lee  raised  her  head 
when  Nan  had  finished  the  hymn.  "  Now  it  is  your 
turn,"  said  Nan.  "  What  will  you  say,  Mary  Lee?" 

"I  think  I  like  'Jesus,  Lover  of  My  Soul,'  but  I 
don't  know  it  very  well.  Do  you  dare  get  down 
and  bring  me  my  hymnal,  Nan?  I  wouldn't  ask 
you  only  I  could  no  more  leave  this  spot  than  fly." 

"I  don't  mind,  I'm  sure,"  responded  Nan  readily. 
"I  think  the  worst  is  over  anyhow."  But  she  had 
scarcely  returned  with  the  book  when  another  loud 


92  The  Four  Corners 

peal  sent  her  scrambling  to  her  nest  in  the  pillows 
and  it  was  some  moments  before  Mary  Lee  could 
gain  courage  to  sit  up  and  repeat  the  hymn,  which 
she  could  not  do  without  frequent  peepings  at  the 
page  before  her. 

"Now  Jack,  it's  your  turn,"  Nan  prompted. 

Jack  was  always  ready  and  she  began  and  said 
through  without  faltering  the  hymn  beginning: 
"Dear  Jesus  ever  at  my  side."  There  was  a  most 
uplifted  and  saintlike  expression  on  the  child's  face 
as,  with  clasped  hands,  she  repeated  the  closing  lines : 

"  But  when  I  sleep,  Thou  sleepest  not, 
But  vvatchest  patiently." 

One  would  have  supposed  Jack  to  be  a  most  lovely 
and  angelic  person,  and,  in  truth,  for  the  time  being, 
she  was  angelic. 

Jean's  turn  came  last.  "  I  can't  fink  of  anyfing 
but  'Jesus,  tender  Shepherd,  Hear  Me,'  and  it  isn't 
bedtime  yet,"  she  said. 

"Never  mind  if  it  isn't,"  said  Nan;  "it  is  quite 
dark  and  that  will  do  very  nicely."  So  Jean  added 
her  hymn  while  the  storm  still  raged.  However, 
they  were  all  comforted,  and  finding  that  the  plan  of 
Aunt  Sarah's  grandmother  worked  so  well,  Nan  pro- 
posed that  they  should  not  stop  but  should  take 
another  round  of  hymns. 


Housewifely  Cares  93 

"It  would  be  nicer  to  sing  them  I  think,"  said 
Jack. 

"So  it  would,"  the  others  agreed,  "and  then  no- 
body would  have  to  remember  all,  for,  if  one  should 
forget  the  hymnal  will  be  right  here." 

"  Let's  sing  'Now  the  day  is  over,'  "  said  Jack. 

"But  it  isn't  over,"  objected  the  literal  Jean. 
However  as  this  was  a  general  favorite,  they  sang  it 
through  and  by  that  time  the  storm  was  passing 
over  and  they  felt  they  could  safely  leave  the  feather 
pillows. 

"  It  was  a  splendid  plan,"  declared  Mary  Lee. 
"Once  or  twice  I  almost  forgot  to  be  afraid,  though 
1  do  wish  Unc'  Landy  could  have  been  somewhere 
in  the  house." 

"I  don't  know  how  he  could  have  helped  mat- 
ters," returned  Nan,  "though  I  shouldn't  have 
minded  his  being  on  hand.  I  don't  believe  he  has 
gone  to  the  festival  and  very  likely  has  been  out  in 
all  the  storm  stopping  leaks  in  the  barn;  it's  what  he 
generally  does.  Gracious!  what's  that  ?" 

A  thundering  knock  at  the  door  stopped  them  in 
their  work  of  returning  the  pillows  to  their  places. 
"  Who  can  it  be  ?  "  said  Nan. 

"  Maybe  it's  some  one  from  Cousin  Mag  Lewis's 
to  see  if  we  are  all  right,"  said  Mary  Lee.  "I 
shouldn't  wonder  if  it  were  Phil." 


94  The  Four  Corners 

"  Well,  you  go  see." 

Mary  Lee  ran  down-stairs  to  the  door.  It  was 
still  raining  a  little  as  the  puddles  in  the  front  walk 
showed.  The  vines  were  dripping  and  the  flowers 
hung  heavy  heads.  Mary  Lee  did  not  notice  these 
things,  however,  for  two  strange  lads  stood  before 
her.  She  at  once  surmised  who  they  were.  "Come 
right  in,"  she  said.  "Just  put  your  umbrellas  in 
that  corner  of  the  porch.  I'll  tell  Nan  you  are 
here." 

"We  are  Randolph  and  Ashby  Gordon,"  said  the 
boys. 

"  I  know,"  returned  Mary  Lee,  and  sped  up  the 
stairs  leaving  the  boys  to  deposit  their  wet  umbrellas 
on  the  porch.  ' '  Nan,  Nan, "  called  the  girl,  ' '  they've 
come,  and  Aunt  Sarah  isn't  here." 

"  Who  has  come  ?  "  Nan  questioned  from  the  top 
of  the  steps. 

"The  boys,  our  cousins,  Randolph  and  Ashby. 
They  are  at  the  front  door." 

"Goodness!"  exclaimed  Nan.  "What  did  you 
say  to  them,  Mary  Lee?" 

"  I  didn't  say  anything  except  to  tell  them  where 
to  put  their  umbrellas.  Come  right  down,  please, 
Nan." 

"Their  bed  isn't  made  or  anything,"  said  Nan, 
pausing  to  look  across  at  the  open  doorway  which 


Housewifely  Cares  95 

disclosed  a  room  not  yet  in  good  order.  "  I'll  have 
to  explain,  1  suppose." 

She  went  sedately  down-stairs  to  find  the  two 
boys  standing  in  the  front  hall.  "Oh,  how  do  you 
do  ?  "  she  began.  "  We  didn't  expect  you  to-day  " 
— and  then  feeling  that  this  was  scarcely  a  welcom- 
ing speech,  she  hesitated,  blushing  at  not  being 
ready  for  the  occasion. 

"I  know,"  said  the  elder  boy,  "and  we  must 
apologize  for  being  ahead  of  time,  but  we  found  that 
we  could  get  here  to-day  and  have  company  all  the 
way.  A  friend  of  father's,  one  of  the  professors  at 
the  University,  was  coming,  and  he  insisted  upon 
our  taking  the  same  train.  I  hope  it  doesn't  make 
any  difference  to  you." 

"No,"  Nan  faltered,  "only  Aunt  Sarah  hasn't 
come  yet  and  your  room  isn't  quite  ready." 

"Oh,  no  matter,"  returned  the  boy,  courteously 
enough,  but  rather  distantly. 

"You  see,  mother  went  a  way  only  this  morning," 
Nan  continued  her  explanations,  "  and  Mitty,  our 
girl,  has  gone  out,  but  if  you  will  just  walk  into  the 
living-room  and  make  yourselves  at  home,  I  can  soon 
get  everything  in  order.  I'm  Nan,  you  know.  It 
was  Mary  Lee  who  opened  the  door  and  the  twins 
are  up-stairs.  We  had  a  heavy  storm,  didn't  we?" 

"We  certainly  did,"  replied  Randolph,  following 


96  The  Four  Corners 

her  into  the  room.  His  brother  silently  entered 
with  him. 

"Please  make  yourselves  at  home,"  repeated 
Nan. 

Having  established  her  guests,  she  flew  up-stairs. 
"They're  here  sure  enough,"  she  said.  "You  all 
will  have  to  help  me  get  the  room  ready ;  fortunately 
it  has  been  swept.  Jean,  get  some  clean  towels  and 
the  piece  of  soap  from  mother's  room.  I  suppose 
we  shall  have  to  give  them  soap.  Jack,  I  wish  you 
would  get  some  water.  No,  you'd  better  not,"  she 
called.  But  Jack,  finding  a  chance  to  help  and 
rather  liking  the  task  imposed  upon  her,  was  already 
half  way  down-stairs.  With  Mary  Lee's  assistance, 
the  bed  was  made  and  the  room  was  soon  tidy. 
Then  Nan  returned  below  stairs  to  decide  what  to 
have  for  supper.  She  would  put  the  best  foot  for- 
ward, and,  though  she  was  racking  her  brains  for  a 
proper  bill  of  fare,  she  would  not  show  her  anxiety. 
Her  own  efforts  in  the  way  of  cooking  had  been 
limited,  for  her  mother  had  always  been  there  to 
take  the  weight  of  responsibility.  She  could  make 
tea,  but  perhaps  the  boys  didn't  drink  it;  she  would 
find  out.  She  would  have  to  attempt  either  biscuits 
or  batter  bread,  for,  of  course,  cold  bread  was  out  of 
the  question.  There  was  no  cold  meat.  She  would 
fry  some  bacon.  Bacon  and  eggs  would  do  nicely. 


Housewifely  Cares  97 

She  would  set  Mary  Lee  to  paring  and  cutting  up 
some  peaches.  There  could  be  sliced  tomatoes,  too. 
If  the  bread  question  could  be  settled,  they  would 
do  very  well.  She  would  bake  some  potatoes  in 
case  her  bread  was  a  failure.  She  sent  Jean  to  find 
Mary  Lee  and  tell  her  to  come  to  the  kitchen  and 
then  she  set  to  work. 

"They're  just  like  company,"  was  the  remark 
with  which  she  greeted  Mary  Lee.  "They  don't 
act  a  bit  as  if  they  belonged  to  us.  The  little  one, 
Ashby,  hardly  opened  his  lips,  and  the  other  one  was 
polite  enough  but  acted  as  if  we  weren't  kinsfolk 
at  all,  but  just  strangers  who  were  going  to  take 
them  to  board.  I'm  going  to  have  bacon  and  eggs 
for  supper.  I  wish  you'd  see  if  Unc'  Landy  is 
around  anywhere;  he  can  cut  the  bacon  for  us.  I'm 
afraid  I  could  not  do  it  well,  and  I  shall  have  to  try 
some  biscuits.  I've  made  the  fire,  Mary  Lee,  and  I 
wish  you'd  put  a  few  potatoes  in  the  oven.  Where's 
Jack?  There  isn't  a  speck  of  cake  in  the  house 
and  they  look  as  though  they  were  used  to  having 
it." 

"How  can  Jack  do  anything  about  it?"  inquired 
Mary  Lee,  rolling  the  potatoes  into  a  pan  preparatory 
to  washing  them. 

"I'm  going  to  send  her  over  to  Cousin  Mag's  to 
see  if  she  has  any.  I'd  better  write  a  note  for  Jack 


98  The  Four  Corners 

gets  things  mixed  sometimes."  She  ran  to  her  room 
and  scribbled  a  note  to  Mrs.  Lewis,  as  the  two 
families  often  accommodated  one  another  in  this 
way.  Having  despatched  Jack  upon  her  errand, 
Nan  turned  her  attention  again  to  the  supper.  Unc' 
Landy  had  evidently  been  storm-stayed  somewhere 
and  had  not  yet  returned,  so  the  bacon  was  cut 
rather  clumsily  and  set  over  the  fire  to  sizzle.  To 
Mary  Lee  was  given  the  responsibility  of  preparing 
the  peaches  and  setting  the  table.  Nan  suggested 
that  she  put  on  the  very  best  of  everything. 

"Oh,  need  we  do  that?"  she  said.  "We'll  have 
to  wash  them  up  afterward,  you  know,  for  Mitty 
will  not  be  here  to  do  it,  and  it  would  be  awful  if 
we  were  to  break  anything." 

"Never  mind,"  returned  Nan,  "I'll  take  the  risk. 
We  must  show  them  that  we  have  nice  silver  and 
china.  Go  on  and  do  as  I  say,  Mary  Lee." 

Mary  Lee  obeyed  and  Nan  turned  to  her  other 
tasks.  "1  wonder  how  long  it  takes  bacon  to 
cook,"  she  said  to  herself,  "and  I  wonder  how 
much  flour  I  shall  need  for  the  biscuits.  I'll  have  to 
guess  at  it.  Dear  me,  how  does  any  one  ever  learn 
all  those  things?"  She  carefully  sifted  her  flour 
and  then  measured  out  her  baking  powder  accu- 
rately. As  she  was  hesitating  as  to  the  amount  of 
lard  required,  she  realized  that  the  kitchen  was  full 


Housewifely  Cares  99 

of  smoke  from  burning  bacon,  and,  hurrying  to  the 
stove,  she  discovered  that  every  slice  was  hard  and 
black. 

"Oh,  dear," she  sighed,  "it's  ruined,  and  I'll  have 
to  cut  more;  it's  such  a  trouble,  too.  I'll  finish  the 
biscuits  first,  for  I  see  the  bacon  will  cook  while 
they  are  baking."  The  interruption  made  her  forget 
the  salt  for  her  biscuits,  and  she  set  rather  a  rough, 
ragged  looking  panful  in  the  oven. 

The  next  lot  of  bacon  was  cooked  more  success- 
fully, though  some  slices  were  thick  at  one  end  and 
thin  at  the  other.  Some  were  short,  some  were 
long,  quite  unlike  the  neat  curly  bits  which  usually 
appeared  upon  the  table.  Mary  Lee  came  in  as  she 
was  concluding  her  tasks  and  her  comments  upon 
the  looks  of  the  dish  did  not  reassure  Nan. 

However,  she  rose  to  the  occasion.  "  They  won't 
show  when  I've  covered  them  with  the  fried  eggs," 
she  declared.  "Dear  me,  Mary  Lee,  I'll  never  lift 
the  eggs  without  breaking  them.  I'll  have  to  let 
them  cook  more,  I  reckon.  Hand  me  the  cake- 
turner,  please;  maybe  I  can  do  better  with  that,  and 
won't  you  look  at  the  biscuits  ?  They  ought  to  be 
done  by  this  time." 

Mary  Lee  announced  that  they  looked  done. 

"Try  the  potatoes." 

A  squeal  from  Mary  Lee  followed  this  operation, 


loo  The  Four  Corners 

for  she  squeezed  one  potato  too  hard  and  it  burst 
with  a  pop,  burning  her  thumb. 

Nan  dressed  the  burn  with  a  plaster  of  baking 
soda  and  dished  up  the  potatoes  herself.  "  Where's 
Jean?"  she  asked. 

"She  put  on  her  best  frock  and  is  in  the  living- 
room  entertaining  the  gentlemen,"  returned  Mary 
Lee.  "It's  time  Jack  came  back,  don't  you  think, 
Nan?" 

"  High  time,"  returned  Nan,  carefully  transferring 
the  rest  of  the  eggs  from  pan  to  dish.  "  I've  only 
broken  one,  Mary  Lee,  and  the  bacon  is  quite 
covered.  Everything  is  nearly  ready,  but,  oh,  dear, 
how  does  any  one  ever  do  it  quickly  and  easily  ? 
It  is  impossible  to  keep  your  mind  on  bacon  and 
eggs  and  biscuits  and  potatoes  all  at  once,  and  how 
any  one  remembers  more  than  that  is  beyond  me. 
There,  we  came  near  forgetting  the  peaches.  Get 
them  out  of  the  pantry,  and  bring  some  fine  sugar 
to  put  over  them." 

"It's  getting  pretty  late,"  remarked  Mary  Lee, 
looking  down  the  street,  "but  here  comes  Jack  at 
last." 

"I  know  it's  late  and  I  expect  those  boys  are 
starved,  but  I  can't  help  it ;  I've  done  my  best." 

"  I  should  think  you  had,"  said  Mary  Lee  ;  "you 
oughtn't  to  have  had  so  much." 


Housewifely  Cares  101 

"I'm  sorry  I  had  potatoes,  for  they  made  you 
burn  yourself.  Well,  Jack,"  as  that  young  person 
entered  the  kitchen  mud-stained  and  tearful,  "  what 
have  you  been  doing  ?  What  is  the  matter  ?  " 

Jack  held  out  a  flattened  parcel.  "I  fell  down," 
she  sobbed,  "and  I  fell  plumb  on  the  cake." 

"  Goodness  !  "  cried  Nan.  "  Do  see,  Mary  Lee,  if 
it's  fit  to  eat.  I  can't,  for  my  hands  are  all  peach 
juice  from  cutting  up  the  peaches.  Did  you  hurt 
yourself,  Jack?" 

"I  hurt  my  feelings  awfully,  'cause  I  spoiled  the 
cake." 

Mary  Lee  anxiously  examined  the  contents  of  the 
parcel.  The  cake,  fortunately,  had  been  sent  on  a 
tin  plate,  which  saved  it  from  utter  destruction. 
"It  is  quite  good  in  places,"  she  declared.  "  We'll 
put  the  mashed  pieces  underneath." 

Nan  laughed  in  spite  of  fatigue  and  anxiety. 
"Then  it  will  match  the  dish  of  bacon,"  she  said. 
"Never  mind,  Jack,  you  did  your  best  and  we  are 
much  obliged  to  you  ;  the  cake  will  taste  good  and 
we  girls  can  eat  the  flat  pieces.  Now,  are  we  all 
ready  ?  " 

"I  think  so,"  said  Mary  Lee,  nursing  her  injured 
thumb.  And  the  flushed  and  anxious  housekeeper 
arranged  her  dishes  upon  the  carefully  set  table. 

"  It  looks  beautiful,"  said  Jack. 


1O2  The  Four  Corners 

"I'm  glad  you  thought  of  the  flowers  for  the 
middle  of  the  table,  Mary  Lee,"  remarked  Nan,  who 
was  critically  examining  her  board.  "Yes,  I  think 
it  looks  very  well.  Now,  I'll  go  and  call  them." 

The  meal  went  off  fairly  well  in  spite  of  the 
chunks  of  bacon  and  the  mashed  cake.  To  be  sure, 
it  was  rather  a  solemn  affair.  Conversation  flagged, 
for  both  boys  and  girls  felt  ill  at  ease.  Nan  was 
covered  with  confusion  when  she  tasted  her  bis- 
cuits, and  was  obliged  to  excuse  herself  when  she 
suddenly  remembered  the  tomatoes  which  she  had 
sliced  and  placed  on  the  ice  and  when  she  caught 
an  odor  of  burning  bread.  She  rescued  the  last  pan 
of  biscuits  just  in  time,  only  one  or  two  having 
burned  at  the  bottom. 

After  supper  there  was  the  task  of  clearing  away, 
and  when  this  was  over  and  the  last  dish  safely  put 
away,  it  was  a  tired  Nan  who  sent  her  sisters  off  to 
bed  and  sat  waiting  for  the  boys  who  had  gone  out 
to  have  a  look  at  the  town.  There  was  no  hope  of 
seeing  Aunt  Sarah  that  night,  for  the  last  train  was 
in,  and  Nan  curled  herself  up  in  her  mother's  big  chair 
by  the  window,  feeling  quite  desperate  when  she 
thought  of  breakfast  without  the  help  of  either  Mitty 
or  Aunt  Sarah. 

After  the  boys  had  returned  and  Nan  was  at  last 
lying  by  Mary  Lee,  the  very  thought  of  the  dear  ab- 


Housewifely  Cares  103 

sent  one  sent  the  tears  coursing  down  her  cheeks, 
so  that  the  pillow  her  mother's  head  had  so  often 
pressed  was  wet  before  the  tired  child  fell  asleep. 
It  began  to  rain  again,  and  all  through  the  night  the 
sound  of  the  pattering  drops  made  Nan  dream  that 
her  mother  was  weeping,  and  longing  for  home  and 
children. 


CHAPTER  VI 
CONCERNING  JACK 


CHAPTER  VI 
CONCERNING  JACK 

THE  consciousness  of  her  responsibilities  made 
Nan  awaken  with  a  start  quite  early  in  the  morning. 
After  her  festivities,  Mitty  could  not  be  expected  to 
appear  before  nine  o'clock,  consequently,  the  matter 
of  breakfast  depended  entirely  upon  Nan.  She  was 
sufficiently  rested  after  her  night's  sleep  to  look  upon 
the  day's  prospects  with  more  calmness  than  had 
seemed  possible  the  night  before.  The  storm  had 
passed  ;  all  the  fears  and  dreams  vanished  in  the 
sunshine.  The  whole  world  appeared  fairer.  The 
heavy  rain  had  washed  the  dust  from  the  leaves  ; 
the  grass  sprang  up  in  livelier  green  ;  the  morning- 
glories  over  the  porch  were  fresh  and  beautiful ;  the 
very  earth  looked  refreshed.  Birds  were  singing  in 
the  bushes  ;  a  rooster  was  lustily  crowing  from  a 
fence  rail. 

"  It  has  cleared  off  beautifully,"  said  Nan  as  she 
opened  the  kitchen  door  to  look  out.  "Good 
morning,  Lady  Gray,"  she  greeted  the  big  cat 
which  came  purring  to  rub  against  her.  "I  hope 
my  stormy  time  is  over,  too,"  she  went  on.  "  It 


io8  The  Four  Corners 

certainly  was  a  gray  day  yesterday,  but  to-day 
Aunt  Sarah  will  surely  come  and  Mitty  will  be 
back,  so  there  is  only  breakfast  to  trouble  me.  I 
haven't  the  least  idea  what  I  ought  to  have,  or,  I 
should  say,  what  I  can  have.  I  thought  Aunt  Sarah 
would  be  here  to  decide  all  such  things.  I  can't 
have  bacon  and  eggs  again  !  Unc'  Landy  !  Ah, 
Unc'  Landy!"  she  called  to  the  old  man  who  was 
just  issuing  from  his  cabin. 

He  came  toward  her.  "  Mawnin,'  miss,"  he  said, 
taking  off  his  battered  hat  with  a  bow.  "Fine 
day  arter  de  rain." 

"It  is  indeed.  Unc'  Landy,  I  want  you  to  cut 
some  slices  of  ham  for  me." 

"  Yass,  miss.     Whar  dat  Mitty  ?  " 

"  Now  you  know  Mitty  won't  get  back  till  nine 
o'clock.  She  never  does  after  a  festival  or  a  picnic 
or  a  parlor  social,  as  she  calls  it.  She  is  too  sleepy 
after  staying  up  half  the  night." 

"Po'  miserble  sinnah,"  grumbled  Unc'  Landy. 
"  Bad  man  git  her  suah  ef  her  foots  keep  on 
a-twitchen'  when  de  banjo  play." 

"Oh,  Mitty  is  all  right,"  returned  Nan  smiling. 
"  You  are  too  hard  on  her,  Unc'  Landy." 

"'Tain'  no  use  talkin'  to  dese  yer  light-haided 
young  uns,"  he  replied.  "Yuh  jest  bleedged  to 
beat  erligion  inter  'em.  Dey  foots  is  on  de  broad 


Concerning  Jack  109 

road  to  destruction,  and  yuh  bleedged  to  drive  'em 
back  wid  er  stick,  jest  lak  a  sheep  er  a  heifer  er  a 
pig  when  dey  gits  outer  de  parf.  How  much  ham 
yuh  reckon  yuh  wants,  honey  ?  " 

"  Oh,  a  couple  of  slices.  1  suppose  you  can  tell 
how  long  to  cook  it.  I  had  an  awful  time  with 
my  supper  last  night,  and  it  wasn't  very  good  after 
all.  I  forgot  to  put  salt  in  the  biscuits  and  the 
bacon  was  chunky." 

"  Whafo'  yuh  mek  any  fuss  jest  fo'  yuh-alls?" 
said  Unc'  Landy.  "Why  yuh  don'  jest  picnic  till 
yo'  Aunt  Sarah  come  ?  Tain'  no  diffunce  ef  yuh 
chilluns  ain'  got  a  comp'ny  brekfus." 

"But  it  is  a  difference  when  we  have  two 
strangers." 

"Strangers?  Who  dey?"  Unc'  Landy  looked 
greatly  surprised. 

"The  Gordon  boys,  Randolph  and  Ashby. 
They  were  to  have  come  to-day,  you  know,  but 
they  got  here  yesterday  instead." 

"  Law,  honey,  is  dat  so  ?  An'  de  ole  man  ain'  on 
han'  to  he'p  yuh-alls  out  when  dat  fool  chile  Mitty 
away.  Now,  ain'  dat  scan'lous  fo'  Unc'  Landy  git 
ketched  in  de  rain  an'  not  git  home  in  time  fo'  sup- 
pah  ?  I  clar  it  righ  down  owdacious.  Nemmine, 
don'  yuh  werry,  chile,  I  fix  yo'  brekfus.  What 
yuh  reckon  yuh  have?" 


HO  The  Four  Corners 

"  Ham  ;  you  know  I  asked  you  to  cut  it." 

"  Brile  ham.  Yes'm,  and  a  pone,  aig  pone. 
How  dat  do  ?  " 

"  I  used  all  the  eggs  last  night." 

"  Dey  mo'  in  de  hen-house,  I  reckon.  I  git  'em. 
Coffee,  yuh  bleedged  ter  have  a  good  cup  of  cof- 
fee." 

"Well,  yes,  I  suppose  Randolph  drinks  it  and 
maybe  Ashby  does.  We'll  have  it,  anyhow." 

"  Might  fry  some  taters,  er  tomats,"  suggested 
Unc'  Landy. 

"  Yes,  they  would  be  good." 

"  Den  go  'long  an'  set  de  table,  honey,  whilst  I 
git  de  aigs,  an'  den'  yuh  come  tell  ole  Landy  whar 
things  is  an'  he  git  yo'  brekfus.  He  cook,  yass  'm, 
dat  he  kin.  He  domeskit,  Landy  are."  And  chuck- 
ling at  this  self  praise  the  old  man  jogged  down  to 
the  hen-house  while  Nan  flew  to  set  the  table, 
greatly  relieved  at  having  so  capable  an  assistant. 

The  breakfast  turned  out  to  be  all  it  should.  The 
ham  was  cooked  to  a  turn ;  the  egg  pone,  light  and 
puffy,  came  to  the  table  hot  and  delicious;  the  coffee 
was  perfect;  the  tomatoes  fried  brown  and  sur- 
rounded by  a  tempting  gravy.  Nan  tried  to  make 
conversation  and  her  sisters  ably  assisted  her,  but 
the  boys  were  not  very  responsive,  though  Nan 
concluded  it  was  shyness  and  not  pride  which 


Concerning  Jack  ill 

prevented  them  from  being  more  talkative.  They 
escaped  as  soon  as  the  meal  was  over  and  Nan 
drew  a  sigh  of  relief.  "  They  certainly  aren't  very 
good  company,"  she  remarked.  "Jean  seems  the 
only  one  they  will  have  anything  to  say  to." 

"  You  forget  she  dressed  up  in  her  best  and 
entertained  them  yesterday,"  said  Mary  Lee,  laugh- 
ing. "  What  did  you  talk  about,  kitten  ?" 

"Oh,  fings  to  eat,  and — and  horses  and — dogs." 

"  No  wonder  then  they  found  something  to  say," 
laughed  Nan.  "  Now  run  along  and  get  ready  for 
school.  Mary  Lee  will  start  later  and  I  may  not  get 
there  at  all." 

"  There  isn't  going  to  be  any  school  to-day,"  re- 
turned Jean. 

"Why  not?    Who  said  so?" 

"Jack  said  so." 

"How  did  she  find  out?" 

"  I  don't  know.  She  said  this  morning  when  we 
were  getting  dressed  that  there  wasn't  going  to  be 
any  school  to-day." 

"  It  isn't  a  holiday.  I'd  like  to  know  why,"  said 
Nan  reflectively.  "  Are  you  sure,  Jean  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I'm  sure.  I  asked  Jack  twice  and  both 
times  she  said:  'There  isn't  going  to  be  any 
school.' " 

"To  be  sure  we  weren't  there  yesterday,"  said 


112  The  Four  Corners 

Nan,  "and  she  probably  heard  from  some  one  over 
at  Cousin  Mag's.  Where  is  Jack  ?  " 

"I  don't  know." 

"  Go  find  her,  there's  a  good  girl." 

Jean  went  out.  She  saw  nothing  of  her  twin, 
so  she  sought  the  dog  who  would  be  a  willing  and 
able  help  in  finding  Jack. 

As  she  stood  at  the  gate,  looking  up  and  down 
the  street,  the  two  boys  came  out.  "  What  are  you 
looking  for?"  asked  Randolph. 

"  I'm  looking  for  Trouble,"  she  replied. 

The  boy  gave  a  short  laugh.  "  You'll  find  it  soon 
enough  if  you  look  for  it,"  he  said,  passing  on  and 
leaving  Jean  much  puzzled  by  his  remark.  Finding 
neither  Jack  nor  Trouble  in  this  direction,  she  sought 
Unc'  Landy  and  Trouble  was  discovered  gnawing  a 
ham  bone  by  the  old  man's  cabin  door.  "Come, 
Trouble,  find  Jack,"  called  Jean. 

The  dog  dropped  his  bone,  cocked  his  head  to  one 
side,  flopped  an  ear  over  one  eye  and  looked  at  her 
brightly. 

"Find  Jack.  Come,  where's  Jack?"  repeated 
Jean.  Then  Trouble  understood,  and  set  off  down 
the  street,  Jean  following. 

Just  before  the  schoolhouse  was  reached,  Jack 
was  discovered  sitting  on  the  steps  of  a  vacant 
house.  She  had  settled  herself  there  before  any  of 


Concerning  Jack  113 

the  school  children  came  that  way.  There  were  too 
many  interesting  things  occurring  for  Jack  to  wish  to 
waste  her  time  at  school,  and  she  had  argued  out  a 
plan  of  proceeding  which  ought  to  satisfy  everybody, 
she  reflected.  There  could  be  no  school  without 
scholars  and  she  would  see  to  it  that  there  were  no 
scholars.  As  each  child  came  along  she  promptly 
called  out:  "There  isn't  going  to  be  any  school  to- 
day." She  felt  that  this  was  strict  truth.  The  first 
arrivals  turned  back  all  too  readily  and  repeated 
Jack's  words  to  the  others  they  met,  so  that  within 
the  schoolroom  the  teacher  wondered  and  waited 
till  ten  o'clock.  By  that  time  Jack,  feeling  that  the 
day  was  saved,  left  the  steps  where  she  had  been 
sitting  and  went  to  the  station  to  wait  the  first  train 
in  from  Washington. 

Before  this,  however,  Trouble  had  discovered  her 
to  Jean  in  his  most  polite  manner.  "Nan  wants 
you,  Jack,"  announced  Jean,  running  up. 

"I  don't  care.  She's  not  my  mother,"  returned 
Jack. 

"  You'd  better  come." 

"  I  will  when  I'm  ready." 

"  I'm  going  straight  home  to  tell  her." 

"I  don't  care." 

"I  don't  see  what  you  want  to  sit  here  for  all  by 
yourself." 


114  The  Four  Corners 

"  Because  I  choose." 

In  this  mood  Jack  was  not  companionable,  as  Jean 
knew  to  her  sorrow,  and  so,  after  a  look  of  virtuous 
reproach  at  her  sister,  and  a  lifting  of  her  head  in 
scorn,  she  walked  off  with  switching  skirts,  pound- 
ing down  her  heels  very  hard  and  calling  back:  "  I'll 
tell  Aunt  Sarah  too." 

"She  hasn't  come  yet,"  called  Jack  in  return. 

"  You  don't  know  whether  she  has  or  not,"  came 
the  reply  in  fainter  tones. 

"  I  do  so.  The  train  doesn't  get  in  till  eleven. 
Ba-ah  ! "  Then  Jean  indignantly  pursued  her  way 
to  pour  forth  her  grievance  in  Nan's  ear. 

"  She  was  sitting  on  the  steps  of  the  old  Southall 
house,"  she  reported,  "and  she  wouldn't  come 
when  I  said  you  wanted  her.  She  said  '  Ba-ah ! '  too, 
and  she  told  me  she'd  come  when  she  was  ready." 

Nan  knew  Jack's  eccentricities  of  old,  and  that 
she  should  choose  to  be  sitting  on  the  steps  of  the 
Southall  house  was  not  a  matter  of  surprise,  though 
she  wondered  why  Jack  preferred  to  be  there  to  en- 
joying her  own  home  garden  on  a  holiday.  But  she 
did  not  think  it  wise  to  try  to  force  an  obedience 
which  very  likely  would  not  be  given,  so  she  said: 
"Well,  never  mind,  let  her  stay  there  if  she  likes  it. 
Perhaps  she  is  waiting  for  some  one.  Isn't  that 
Mitty  coming?  It  looks  like  her  yellow  hat." 


Concerning  Jack  115 

"It  is  Mitty,"  Jean  assured  her,  "but  her  hat 
looks  funny  and  she's  got  on  an  old  calico  wrapper." 

Mitty  entered  rather  shamefacedly.  She  had  a 
tale  of  woe  to  tell.  She  had  been  caught  in  the  rain 
and  her  clothes  had  suffered.  She  had  gone  to  the 
"fessible,"  however,  but  it  rained  so  hard  that  she, 
with  most  of  the  others,  had  to  stay  all  night. 
There  was  a  fight  which  scared  her  nearly  to  death, 
and  there  was  no  place  to  sleep,  for  the  older  per- 
sons took  up  all  the  floor  space.  She  had  walked 
home  when  daylight  came,  and  had  gone  to  bed  at 
her  mother's,  but  she  was  "clean  tuckered  out." 
And,  indeed,  at  intervals  during  the  rest  of  the  day, 
one  or  another  of  the  girls  came  upon  her  sound 
asleep  over  her  work. 

At  eleven  o'clock  came  Aunt  Sarah,  accompanied 
by  Jack,  who  had  met  her  at  the  train.  Ordinarily 
Nan  would  not  have  been  so  overjoyed  to  see  Aunt 
Sarah.  There  were  too  frequent  passages  of  arms 
between  them  for  the  girl  to  look  forward  to  her 
great  aunt's  visit  with  unalloyed  pleasure,  but  this 
time  Miss  Dent  was  given  an  exuberant  welcome, 
not  only  by  Nan,  but  by  the  others.  "  We  thought 
you  would  never  get  here,"  said  Nan. 

"  I  thought  so  myself,"  returned  Aunt  Sarah. 
"  Henry  Dent  made  me  miss  the  train  by  five  min- 
utes yesterday  morning,  so  I  had  to  take  the  after- 


1 16  The  Four  Corners 

noon  train.  That  was  an  hour  late  owing  to  a 
washout,  so  I  couldn't  make  connection  in  Wash- 
ington, but  had  to  stay  all  night  there  with  Cousin 
Lou,  though  I  did  get  the  earliest  train  this  morning. 
Your  mother  got  off  safely,  Jack  tells  me.  Why 
aren't  you  children  at  school  ?  " 

"There  wasn't  any  school  to-day,"  promptly  re- 
plied Jean. 

"  How's  that  ?"    Miss  Dent  turned  sharply. 

"I  don't  know,"  said  Jean. 

"Did  you  hear  the  reason?"  asked  Nan,  turning 
to  Jack.  She  had  been  so  occupied  that  the  question 
of  school  had  given  her  very  little  thought  that  day. 

"There  wasn't  one  of  the  scholars  there,"  replied 
Jack  truthfully  and  with  a  guileless  look. 

"  How  do  you  know  ?" 

"I  was  down  there  and  saw." 

"Down  where  ?  Did  you  go  to  the  schoolhouse  ?  " 

"I  didn't  go  in." 

"Didn't  Miss  Lawrence  come?" 

Jack  hesitated,  but  she  was  equal  to  the  emer- 
gency. "  I  didn't  see  her,"  she  made  answer. 

"I  wonder  if  she  is  ill,"  said  Mary  Lee.  "We 
didn't  hear  that  she  was  yesterday,  and  yet  Jack 
knew  this  morning  before  breakfast  that  there  wasn't 
to  be  any  school.  She  told  us  so." 

"  How  did  you  find  out  ?  "  Aunt  Sarah  fixed  a  keen 


Concerning  Jack  117 

look  upon  Jack.  "  Look  here,  Jacqueline  Corner,  it 
strikes  me  that  there  is  a  screw  loose  somewhere. 
Did  you  tell  your  sister  that  there  wouldn't  be  any 
school  so  you  could  have  a  holiday  ?  " 

Jack  faced  her  questioner  unflinchingly.  "  It's 
just  as  I  said,  Aunt  Sarah.  There  wasn't  truly  any 
school  to-day." 

"I'll  find  out  the  why  and  wherefore,"  replied 
Aunt  Sarah,  shaking  her  head  warningly.  "  How 
did  you  get  along,  Nan  ?  I  suppose  with  Mitty  and 
Unc'  Landy  you  have  had  no  trouble." 

"  We  had  an  awful  time,"  Nan  answered.  "Mitty 
took  an  afternoon  and  evening  off.  Mother  promised 
her  long  ago  that  she  should  go  to  the  festival  of  the 
Sons  and  Daughters  of  Moses  and  Aaron  and  we 
had  a  terrible  thunder-storm  that  scared  us  nearly  to 
death  and  that  kept  Unc'  Landy  from  getting  back 
from  the  mill  where  he  had  gone  for  some  feed. 
Then  the  boys  came  and  it  was  pitch  dark  before  I 
could  get  supper  ready." 

"Yes,  and  Jack  fell  down  and  mashed  the  cake 
so  some  of  it  was  crite  flat,"  put  in  Jean. 

"1  don't  care;  it  was  dreadfully  slippery  coming 
up  the  hill  and,  anyhow,  it  tasted  good.  Randolph 
ate  two  pieces,"  protested  Jack. 

"  So  did  you,"  retorted  Jean. 

"Hush,   hush  your  squabbling,  children,"  said 


ll8  The  Four  Corners 

Aunt  Sarah.  "  Well,  Nan,  you  did  have  your  hands 
full.  I'd  have  been  more  put  out  than  I  was  if  I  had 
known  those  boys  were  here.  I  suppose,  though, 
you  didn't  make  any  difference  for  them,  just  two 
youngsters  like  them." 

"Indeed  we  did  make  a  difference,"  Jack  told  her 
proudly.  "  We  had  out  all  the  best  china  and  silver, 
and  Nan  made  biscuits,  and  we  borrowed  cake  from 
Cousin  Mag,  and  all  that" 

"  For  pity's  sake,  what  did  you  make  all  that  fuss 
•for  over  two  young  cubs  of  boys  ?  " 

"We  wanted  to  give  them  a  good  impression," 
said  Nan,  with  dignity.  "Mother  says  so  much 
depends  upon  the  first  impression." 

Aunt  Sarah  laughed.  "Well,  you  might  have 
saved  yourselves  in  my  opinion.  What  are  the  lads 
like?  Nice  fellows?" 

"  I  suppose  so,"  returned  Nan  doubtfully.  "  They 
haven't  given  us  much  of  a  chance  to  find  out. 
Randolph  says  very  little  and  Ashby  nothing  at  all 
except:  'Please  pass  the  bread'  or  'Please  pass  the 
butter.'" 

"  Those  remarks  don't  furnish  much  of  a  clue  to 
character,"  remarked  Aunt  Sarah  with  a  little  smile. 
"  Probably  they  are  bashful  and  are  not  used  to 
girls.  Here  in  a  houseful  of  them  with  no  older 
person  they  feel  mighty  queer,  I  have  no  doubt. 


Concerning  Jack  119 

Their  tongues  will  loosen  up  after  a  few  days.  You 
put  them  in  your  room  ?  Your  mother  wrote  that 
you  wanted  to." 

"Yes,  and  we  made  it  look  pretty  well.  There 
is  a  broken  chair  that  Unc'  Landy  is  going  to  mend, 
and  some  of  our  clothes  are  still  in  the  press." 

"Well,  I'll  get  myself  settled  and  we'll  soon  have 
things  in  running  order,"  returned  Aunt  Sarah,  ris- 
ing to  go  to  her  room. 

Nan  gave  a  sigh  of  relief.  It  lifted  a  great  weight 
from  her  shoulders  to  have  capable  Aunt  Sarah  on 
hand,  to  know  that  in  a  few  minutes  the  black  cash- 
mere would  be  substituted  by  a  neat  calico  and  that, 
in  her  working  garb,  Aunt  Sarah  would  take  control. 

"Come,  Mary  Lee,"  said  Nan,  "Aunt  Sarah  will 
see  to  everything.  There  is  really  nothing  for  us  to 
do,  so  let's  go  work  in  our  gardens.  It's  a  splendid 
day  for  weeding." 

The  girls'  gardens  were  side  by  side.  In  Nan's 
grew  currant  bushes,  a  dwarf  apple-tree,  tiny  toma- 
toes, yellow  and  red,  sweet  corn,  and  in  one  corner, 
pleasant  smelling  herbs,  thyme,  tansy,  sage,  lavender 
and  bergamot.  Flowering  beans  ran  over  her  share 
of  the  fence,  and  a  rollicking  pumpkin  vine  sprawled 
its  length  along  the  line  between  this  and  Mary 
Lee's  garden.  All  in  Nan's  garden  appealed  to  the 
senses.  She  gloated  over  the  delicate  pink  blooms 


12O  The  Four  Corners 

which  covered  her  small  tree  in  the  spring.  She  rev- 
eled in  the  shining  red  currants  hanging  in  clus- 
ters among  the  green  leaves.  She  delighted  in  the 
scarlet  and  yellow  tomatoes,  in  the  delicate  bloom 
of  the  lavender,  the  graceful  green  of  the  tansy,  the 
perfume  of  the  bergamot.  These  gardens  were 
theirs  provided  they  raised  something  useful,  and 
Nan  had  kept  within  the  limits,  but  her  mother 
smiled  to  see  how  she  had  chosen. 

Mary  Lee,  on  the  contrary,  showed  a  practical 
utilitarianism.  Potatoes,  onions,  large,  lusty  to- 
matoes, solid  cabbages,  mighty  turnips,  radishes  and 
lettuce  were  what  she  aspired  to  cultivate,  and  right 
well  did  the  crops  show. 

"I  think  I'll  have  an  asparagus  bed  next  year," 
said  Nan  bending  down  to  gather  a  leaf  of  bergamot. 
"It  looks  so  pretty  and  feathery,  and  after  it  is  once 
started  it  is  no  trouble  at  all." 

"It  will  take  up  a  lot  of  room,"  returned  Mary 
Lee.  "I  do  wish  you'd  pull  up  that  old  pumpkin 
vine;  it's  getting  all  in  among  my  turnips." 

"It's  too  late  in  the  season  for  it  to  hurt  them/' 
returned  Nan  nonchalantly,  "  and  I  really  can't  keep 
it  on  my  side,  Mary  Lee,  unless  I  sit  here  all  day  and 
all  night  watching  it,  tor  it  grows  so  fast  I'm  con- 
tinually having  to  unwind  it  from  something.  I 
believe  it  is  a  fairy  vine,  an  ogre — no,  it's  too  jolly 


Concerning  Jack  121 

to  be  an  ogre.     It  'may  be  a  playful  giant  that  grabs 
at  everybody  just  to  be  funny." 

"  I  don't  think  it's  a  bit  funny,"  replied  Mary  Lee, 
not  possessing  Nan's  humor.  "  I  just  wish  you'd 
come  and  get  it  away  from  my  side." 

Nan  stepped  across  the  twig  fence  which  sepa- 
rated the  two  gardens.  "Come  here,  old  Giant 
Pumpkin-head,"  she  said.  "  You  must  stop  curling 
your  fingers  around  everything  you  see.  Stay  on 
your  own  side."  She  dragged  the  obtrusive  length 
of  vine  across  to  her  own  garden.  "  He  does  spread 
mighty  near  over  the  whole  place,"  she  continued. 
"  I'm  afraid  I  shall  have  to  put  a  spell  on  him  another 
year.  Oh,  I  know  where  I'll  have  him  next  season." 

"Where?"  asked  Mary  Lee  industriously  pulling 
up  weeds  which  yielded  easily  after  the  rain. 

"Oh,  never  mind  where.  I  can't  tell  just  yet," 
Nan  hastened  to  say,  for  her  thought  was  to  allow 
a  pumpkin  vine  to  have  its  own  way  upon  the  edge 
of  the  field  where  she  had  her  retreat.  She,  too,  fell 
to  pulling  weeds,  but  presently  she  cried :  "Mary 
Lee,  Mary  Lee,  Miss  Lawrence  is  coming  up  the 
street  and  I  believe  she  is  coming  to  our  house." 

"Then  she  isn't  ill,"  returned  Mary  Lee,  brushing 
the  earth  from  her  hands. 

"No,  and  here  comes  Jack  running  for  dear  life. 
I  must  go  see  what  she  wants.  Heigho,  Jack! " 


122  The  Four  Corners 

The  child  came  tumultuously  toward  them.  "  Oh, 
Nan,  don't  let  her  see  me,"  she  cried. 

"Let  who  see  you?" 

"  Miss  Lawrence.     She's  coming  after  me." 

"  Coming  after  you  ?  and  why  ?  You  know  she's 
not  bothering  about  you  unless  you  have  been  up  to 
some  trick.  Have  you,  Jack  ?  " 

Jack  clung  to  Nan's  hand.  "  I  didn't  tell  a  story. 
There  couldn't  be  any  school  when  there  were  no 
scholars,  could  there  ?  " 

"No,  I  suppose  not." 

"  I  did  so  want  to  help,"  said  Jack.  "  I  knew  you 
would  have  to  stay  home  and  get  dinner  if  Aunt 
Sarah  didn't  come,  and  I  wanted  to  go  and  meet  her 
if  she  did." 

"  But  what  did  you  do  ?  "  Nan  drew  the  child  to 
one  side.  "Now  tell  sister  the  whole  truth,  Jack, 
and  unless  it  is  something  perfectly  dreadful,  I'll  try 
to  get  you  let  off.  What  did  you  do  ? " 

"  I  just  told  Carrie  Duke  and  Laura  Fitchett  there 
wouldn't  be  any  school,  and  they  went  and  told  a 
whole  lot  of  the  others,  and  when  any  one  else  came 
along  1  told  them,  too.  There  wasn't  any  school,  so 
I  didn't  tell  a  story." 

Nan  giggled  outright.  She  couldn't  help  it.  Of 
course,  it  was  not  right,  but  the  plan  was  so  in- 
genious and  the  logic  so  like  Jack's  that  she  couldn't 


Concerning  Jack  123 

be  angry.  Moreover,  she  was  but  a  child  herself 
who  liked  a  holiday.  "I'll  tell  you  what  to  do," 
she  advised.  "  You  go  over  to  Cousin  Mag's  and 
tell  her  I'll  send  back  some  cake  to-morrow,  that  I  am 
very  much  obliged  to  her  for  helping  us  out,  that 
Aunt  Sarah  has  come  and  that  we  shall  have  no  more 
trouble.  Then  I'll  go  up  to  the  house  and  say  I  have 
sent  you  on  an  errand.  You  may  stay  over  there 
for  a  little  while,  if  you  like.  Of  course,"  she 
added,  feeling  that  perhaps  she  was  too  lenient, 
"you  did  very  wrong,  and  if  Miss  Lawrence  asks 
me  I  shall  have  to  tell  her  what  you  did,  but  if  she  is 
very  mad  you'd  better  not  be  on  hand,  especially  as 
Aunt  Sarah  is  there,  too.  Now,  run  along." 

"  Oh,  Nan,  you  are  so  dear,"  cried  Jack,  giving  her 
a  hug.  "I  haven't  been  comfortable  all  day,  and 
when  I  saw  Miss  Lawrence  coming,  and  I  felt  so 
afraid,  like  Adam  and  Eve  in  the  garden,  I  knew  I 
hadn't  done  right.  It  didn't  seem  very  wrong  when 
I  first  thought  about  it  this  morning." 

"  I  can't  say  it  was  right,"  said  Nan  with  decision, 
"but  go  now."  And  Jack  took  the  benefit  of  her 
advice. 

"I'm  going  up  to  the  house  to  see  Miss  Law- 
rence," Nan  called  to  Mary  Lee.  "Will  you  come, 
too?" 

"Not    unless   she  particularly  wants  me.    My 


124  The  Four  Corners 

hands  are  a  sight,  and  I  do  want  to  finish  this  weed- 
ing while  the  ground  is  so  nice  and  soft." 

Nan  went  slowly  toward  the  house.  She  did  not 
mean  to  excuse  Jack  but  she  meant  to  shield  her.  It 
was  always  Nan's  way  and  Jack  realized  that  her 
eldest  sister  was  her  most  tolerant  friend.  There 
were  occasions  when  even  Nan's  patience  gave  out, 
but  her  mother  feeling  for  her  little  sister  was  too 
strong  for  her  not  to  love  this  wayward  one,  per- 
haps, best  of  all. 

She  found  Miss  Lawrence  and  Miss  Dent  in  ani- 
mated conversation.  Miss  Lawrence  was  hardly 
through  her  greeting  before  she  began  to  question. 
"Why  weren't  you  at  school  to-day,  Nan?"  she 
asked. 

"  I  couldn't  come,  Miss  Lawrence.  Mother  went 
yesterday,  and  our  girl  was  away,  too,  so  I  just  had 
so  much  to  do  I  couldn't  come." 

"Oh,  I  see.  Miss  Dent  has  been  telling  me  of 
your  mother's  absence.  I  am  sorry." 

"  Nan,  where  is  Jack  ?  "  asked  Miss  Sarah. 

"  I  sent  her  on  an  errand,  Aunt  Sarah.  She'll  be 
back  after  a  while." 

"Do  you  know  anything  of  her  having  reported 
that  there  would  be  no  school  to-day  ?  "  asked  Miss 
Lawrence  severely.  "Not  a  scholar  came  though  I 
waited  till  after  ten.  I  could  not  imagine  why  it 


Concerning  Jack 

was  and  have  tried  to  trace  the  cause.  From  what 
I  learned  Jack  was  the  first  one  who  started  the  re- 
port. Why  did  she  think  there  would  be  no 
school  ?  " 

Nan  glanced  at  her  Aunt  Sarah  and  was  relieved 
to  see  that  she  did  not  wear  her  severest  look  though 
Miss  Lawrence  looked  sternly  unsmiling.  "  I  don't 
think  the  way  Jack  looked  at  it,"  began  Nan,  ad- 
dressing Miss  Lawrence,  "that  she  meant  to  tell  a 
story.  She  said  there  couldn't  be  any  school  if  there 
were  no  scholars,  and  so  she  saw  to  it  that  there  were 
no  scholars.  She  always  wants  to  help  and  she  knew 
how  busy  I  would  be,  but  she  knew,  too,  that  I 
would  insist  upon  her  going  to  school  and  so  she 
thought  out  this  plan  for  having  a  holiday." 

There  was  actually  a  smile  on  Aunt  Sarah's  face. 
"  That's  Jack  all  over,"  she  said.  "  And  I  know  full 
well  that  from  her  point  of  view  she  believed  she 
wasn't  telling  a  story." 

"  That's  what  she  said  to  me,"  Nan  again  as- 
serted. 

"It's  most  astonishing,"  said  Miss  Lawrence,  but 
even  in  her  eyes  there  was  a  flicker  of  amusement 
as  she  glanced  at  Miss  Dent.  "  Of  course,  she  must 
be  punished,"  she  went  on,  "  for  she  must  realize 
how  wrong  it  was  and  such  things  cannot  be  over- 
looked." 


126  The  Four  Corners 

"  She  didn't  really  think  about  its  being  wrong 
till  she  saw  you  coming,"  said  Nan,  "  and  then  she 
was  scared  to  death,  poor  little  Jack." 

This  was  most  tactful  of  Nan,  for  Miss  Lawrence 
had  a  great  horror  of  being  dreaded  and  disliked. 
She  believed  in  firmness  but  in  gentle  and  loving  con- 
trol, so  she  said,  "  She  should  not  have  been  scared 
of  me,  Nan.  I  am  never  unjust,  I  hope." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  to  her  ?  "  asked  Nan, 
feeling  that  she  must  learn  the  worst.  "If  it's  very 
bad,  Miss  Lawrence,  please  let  me  take  the  punish- 
ment; I'm  bigger,  you  know." 

The  tears  sprang  to  Miss  Lawrence's  eyes.  Nan 
had  scored  a  second  time,  all  unconsciously.  ' '  Why, 
my  dear,  do  you  believe  I  could  be  harsh  enough  to 
inflict  anything  dreadful  upon  a  little  girl  ?  I  assure 
you  I  shall  do  nothing  worse  than  keep  her  in  after 
school  and  give  her  a  lecture,  not  an  unkind  one, 
but  I  hope  to  be  able  to  make  her  understand  the 
nature  of  an  untruth  better  than  she  does  now.  I 
am  glad  to  know  the  exact  facts,  Nan  ;  it  will  make 
it  easier  for  me  to  deal  with  her." 

"Shall  you  tell  the  whole  school  ?"  asked  Nan 
anxiously. 

Miss  Lawrence  considered  the  question.  "No,  I 
think  not.  I  will  simply  tell  them  that  a  false  report 
arose  and  that  another  time  they  must  come  to  see 


Concerning  Jack  127 

for  themselves,  and  that  any  announcement  of  a 
holiday  will  be  made  from  the  desk  by  me  person- 
ally." She  then  bade  Miss  Dent  good-bye,  and 
stooped  to  kiss  Nan  whose  championship  had  won 
the  day  for  naughty  little  Jack. 

Jack  took  her  punishment  stoically  and  the  only 
remark  about  it  was  in  answer  to  her  sister's  ques- 
tion: "Was  it  very  dreadful,  Jack ?  Was  she  aw- 
fully solemn  and  terrible  ?  " 

Jack's  reply  was  philosophical:  "  Sticks  and  stones 
may  break  my  bones,  but  words  can  never  hurt  me," 
she  said  gravely.  And  that  was  all  any  one  was 
ever  able  to  get  out  of  Jack. 


A  TOURNAMENT  WITH 
PETE 


•* 


CHAPTER  VII 
A  TOURNAMENT  WITH  PETE 

As  Aunt  Sarah  prophesied,  the  boys  thawed  out 
in  a  few  days,  but  did  not  promise  by  their  man- 
ner to  offer  any  real  companionship.  Mary  Lee 
made  a  point  of  avoiding  them  while  Nan  was 
perfectly  indifferent,  and  only  Jean  went  out  of 
her  way  to  be  agreeable. 

"I  think  they're  horrid,"  complained  Mary  Lee. 
"  Just  because  they  have  a  finer  house  than  this  one 
and  their  father  has  been  some  high  muck-a-muck 
they  think  they  can  look  down  on  us." 

"  I  don't  believe  they  look  down  exactly;  I  think 
it's  because  we  are  girls,  and  they're  not  used  to 
playing  with  girls.  We  belong  to  the  same  family 
and  it  isn't  anything  much  to  be  a  Congressman. 
I'm  sure  they're  polite  enough." 

"But  they're  not  a  bit  like  Phil,"  replied  Mary 
Lee  who  measured  all  boys  by  that  standard. 

"  It's  because  they're  not  used  to  girls,"  insisted 
Nan;  "that's  what  Aunt  Sarah  says,  and  Phil  has 
been  used  to  us  ever  since  he  was  born." 

"  But  Phil  says  they're  stuck  up,"  persisted  Mary 
Lee,  "  and  a  boy  ought  to  know." 


132  The  Four  Corners 

"Oh,  well,  who  cares  ?"  returned  Nan.  "I'm 
sure  I  don't,  and  I  don't  want  boys  tagging  after 
me  wherever  I  go,"  which  was  something  of  a 
fling  at  Mary  Lee  who  generally  preferred  Phil's 
company  to  that  of  any  of  her  sisters. 

It  was  Phil,  after  all,  who  did  bring  about  a  bet- 
ter understanding  between  the  cousins,  so  that  all 
spent  many  a  holiday  in  common.  It  was  one 
Saturday  when  Phil  came  over  to  propose  a  "sure- 
enough"  tournament,  that  the  fun  commenced.  He 
had  his  own  horse  and  proposed  to  beg,  borrow 
or  — 

"  Not  steal  one  for  me,"  interrupted  Mary  Lee. 

"  I'll  get  one  some  way,"  said  Phil.  "We  must 
have  more  than  one  to  enter  the  lists.  The.  more 
the  better." 

As  a  tournament  was  sufficiently  romantic  to 
appeal  to  Nan  she  eagerly  put  in,  "  I'll  be  a  knight." 

"  What'll  you  ride  ?"  asked  Mary  Lee. 

"Pete." 

Phil  tumbled  back  on  the  grass  with  a  shout  of 
laughter,  for  Pete  was  the  old  mule  which  Unc' 
Landy  used  for  all  farming  purposes.  He  was 
aged,  half  blind  and  evilly  disposed,  so  his  entering 
a  contest  like  a  tournament  seemed  the  height  of 
absurdity. 

"You     laugh     mighty    soon,"    retorted    Nan. 


A  Tournament  With  Pete  133 

"Maybe  you  reckon  I  can't  ride  Pete.  I  can  do 
more  with  him  than  any  one." 

"I  think  he'd  be  lots  of  fun,"  said  Phil,  sitting 
up,  his  eyes  twinkling  with  mirth.  "I'll  bring 
Lightfoot  and  maybe  I  can  get  sister  Polly's  mare 
for  Mary  Lee." 

"Oh,  I'd  love  that,"  cried  Mary  Lee,  enthusias- 
tically. "  Who'll  be  the  spectators  ?  " 

"  We  don't  need  any  except  the  kids.  Jack  and 
Jean  will  do,"  returned  Phil.  "We'll  just  ride  for 
the  fun  of  the  thing,  you  see." 

"We  can  have  a  make-believe  audience,"  said 
Nan  eagerly.  "  I'd  love  that.  Where  can  we  have 
it,  Phil?" 

"  Oh,  over  in  the  field,  back  where  the  road  comes 
in." 

"  How  about  rings  ?    We  must  have  rings." 

"  One  will  do.  We  can't  expect  to  have  many. 
I  can  fix  up  one  over  the  gate  and  if  we  take  that 
we  shall  do  well." 

"That  will  be  a  fine  place,"  said  Nan,  hugging 
her  knees.  "  Go  'long,  Phil,  and  get  your  horses 
and  I'll  see  about  Pete.  Unc'  Landy  isn't  using 
him  to-day." 

Phil  went  off  with  a  chuckle,  promising  to  return 
in  half  an  hour,  and  Nan  flew  to  the  house.  It  was 
her  intention  to  outdo  them  all  in  the  matter  of  cos- 


134  The  Four  Corners 

tume.  Phil  had  declared  his  intention  of  tying  some 
sort  of  sash  around  his  waist  and  of  wearing  his 
brother  Tom's  Rough  Rider  hat  with  a  feather  in  it. 
Mary  Lee  said  she  would  put  on  a  red  jacket  and 
tie  a  silk  handkerchief  around  her  head. 

"  I'll  get  up  something,"  said  Nan  evasively.  She 
might  not  have  the  swiftest  steed  but  she  could 
have  the  grandest  costume.  Whatever  Nan  went 
into,  she  did  with  all  her  heart  and  her  enthusiasm 
went  to  full  lengths  whenever  she  entered  any  con- 
test. 

Nan  had  the  faculty  of  mentally  placing  objects 
in  their  relative  places  once  she  had  seen  them,  and 
on  her  way  to  the  house  she  quickly  made  an  in- 
ventory of  those  things  she  should  need.  First 
there  was  Jack's  plaid  skirt;  it  would  about  come 
to  her  knees.  A  pair  of  leathern  leggings  her 
mother  had  worn  as  part  of  her  riding  costume 
when  a  girl,  she  remembered  seeing  in  a  trunk  in 
the  attic.  In  this  same  trunk,  to  her  satisfaction, 
she  came  across  some  strips  of  plaid  like  the 
skirt;  these  she  considered  a  great  find  and  bore 
them  down-stairs  with  the  leggings. 

Having  arrayed  herself  in  a  green  shirt-waist,  the 
plaid  skirt  and  the  leggings,  Nan  rummaged  among 
her  treasures  to  find  an  old  cairngorm  pin  which  had 
belonged  to  her  Grandmother  Lee,  and  which  her 


A  Tournament  With  Pete  135 

mother  had  once  given  her  as  a  birthday  gift,  lack- 
ing anything  new.  Fashioning  the  plaid  strips  into 
a  scarf  by  pinning  the  longer  ones  together,  she 
fastened  them  at  the  shoulder  with  the  pin.  Then 
her  deft  fingers  contrived  from  some  stiff  paper,  a 
sort  of  Scotch  cap.  She  gave  this  a  coat  of  shoe 
polish  which  dried  quickly,  and  as  a  finishing  touch 
she  pinned  to  it  a  long  peacock  feather  which  some 
one  had  once  given  her. 

When  all  was  ready  Nan  surveyed  herself  in  the 
glass  with  much  pride.  Her  ideas  had  been  gleaned 
from  some  pictures  of  Highland  costumes  which  she 
had  often  seen  at  her  Cousin  Mag's,  and  she  had 
determined  to  take  the  name  of  the  Knight  of 
Snowdoun,  knowing  and  loving  well  her  "  Lady  of 
the  Lake." 

On  her  way  from  the  house  she  stopped  in  the 
pantry  and  took  three  apples  from  the  barrel  stand- 
ing there.  One  of  these  she  carefully  pared  and 
slipped  the  paring  into  her  pocket;  the  others  she 
took  with  her  to  the  stable  yard  where  old  Pete 
stood,  his  head  over  the  fence.  She  rubbed  his  nose 
gently  and  gave  him  the  pared  apple.  If  there  was 
anything  Pete  loved,  it  was  apples,  and  with  these 
as  a  reward  Nan  knew  she  could  do  anything  with 
him,  and  indeed  he  allowed  her  to  adjust  his  bridle 
and  to  strap  a  folded  horse  blanket  upon  him  and  to 


136  The  Four  Corners 

mount  him  easily,  a  bit  of  apple  being  the  recom- 
pense for  such  amiable  behavior. 

As  Nan  rode  in  state  out  of  the  yard  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  field,  Ashby  Gordon  saw  her  and  was 
fascinated  by  her  appearance. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do?"  he  called  after 
her. 

Nan  flashed  him  a  merry  look  over  her  shoulder, 
but  made  no  reply. 

There  was  something  entirely  too  enticing  in  the 
possibilities  her  looks  presented  and  Ashby's  curi- 
osity got  the  better  of  him.  He  ran  to  find 
Randolph.  "Come  on,  Ran,"  he  said.  "I  wish 
you'd  see  Nan.  She  looks  stunning  and  she's  riding 
old  Pete  somewhere.  Come  on." 

More  impressed  by  Ashby's  manner  than  his 
words,  Randolph  followed  his  brother.  As  they 
went  out  they  caught  sight  of  Nan  just  disappearing 
down  the  road  behind  the  barn.  A  dip  in  the  hill 
hid  her  from  view  in  another  moment,  but  they  de- 
termined to  take  the  same  direction  to  see  what  was 
going  on.  Arriving  upon  the  scene,  they  found  Phil 
on  Lightfoot,  Mary  Lee  riding  her  Cousin  Polly's 
Beauty,  and  the  twins  seated  as  spectators. 

"  What's  going  on  ?"  asked  Randolph. 

' '  A  tournament, "  said  Phil.  ' '  There  is  the  grand- 
stand if  you  want  to  look  on." 


A  Tournament  With  Pete  137 

"  Oh,  but  I'd  like  to  be  in  it,  if  I  only  had  my 
horse  here,"  said  Ran. 

"So  would  I,"  put  in  Ashby.  "My!  but  Nan 
looks  great.  What  are  you,  Nan  ?  " 

"  I'm  the  Knight  of  Snowdoun,  Mary  Lee  is  the 
Knight  of  the  Red  Jacket  and  Phil  is  the  Knight  of 
Morro  Castle  because  he  is  wearing  a  Rough 
Rider  hat." 

"  It's  rather  too  big,"  said  Phil.  "  I've  got  to  take 
a  reef  in  it." 

"We've  only  one  ring,"  said  Nan,  "but  we  have 
a  large  assemblage  to  look  on.  The  Goldenrod 
family  are  nearly  all  here.  The  Oaks  are  out  in  force 
and  the  Maples  are  dressed  up  in  their  gayest  clothes, 
you  see." 

Ran  looked  at  her  with  more  interest  than  he  had 
ever  shown.  "I  say,"  he  remarked,  "you  look  like 
the  real  thing.  Who's  your  herald  ?  " 

"Oh,  we  haven't  any.  Phil  is  going  to  call  out: 
'Prepare  to  charge,'  and  '  Charge,'  unless,"  she  said 
graciously,  "you'd  like  to  do  it." 

"  I'd  like  it  first-rate,"  said  Ran  heartily. 

"All  right.  That  will  help  us  out  finely,  won't  it, 
Phil?" 

To  which  Phil  replied:  "  It  will  make  it  more  real, 
I  reckon." 

"  The  other  two  had  selected  their  ladies  before  I 


138  The  Four  Corners 

reached  here,"  said  Nan,  "so  if  I  win  I'll  have  to 
crown  a  make-believe.  The  crown  is  of  red  maple 
leaves.  Jean  is  making  it  now." 

"If  you  win,"  said  Mary  Lee  contemptuously, 
being  rather  put  out  at  the  appearance  of  the  Gordon 
boys  upon  the  scene. 

"Yes,  Miss  High-and-Mighty,"  returned  Nan. 
"  Because  you  have  the  best  mount,  you  needn't 
think  you're  going  to  have  it  all  your  own  way.  It 
isn't  the  riding;  it's  the  taking  the  ring.  Two  out 
of  three  goes.  Where  are  the  lances,  Phil  ?" 

Phil  produced  three  long  straight  poles  made  from 
saplings,  sharpened  at  the  end,  and  soon  all  three 
knights  were  mounted  and  in  line.  But  just  before 
the  herald  uttered  his  first  call,  Nan  lowered  her 
lance,  drew  from  her  pocket  a  piece  of  apple  paring 
and  tied  it  upon  the  pole. 

"  What  in  the  world  are  you  doing  ?  "  cried  Phil. 

"  I'm  doing  this  to  make  Pete  go,"  was  the 
answer.  "If  he  smells  this,  he'll  try  to  run  for 
it." 

"That's  not  fair/'  cried  Mary  Lee. 

"It  is,  isn't  it,  boys?  When  she  has  the  best 
horse  she  ought  to  let  me  do  it,  I  think,"  declared 
Nan. 

"Oh,  there  wouldn't  anything  make  that  old 
creature  go,"  said  Phil  disparagingly.  "  He  always 


A  Tournament  With  Pete  139 

sleeps  while  Unc'  Landy  has  him  in  the  plough,  and 
I  reckon  he'll  do  it  now.  Let  her  tole  him  on  any 
way  she  likes,  Mary  Lee;  it  will  be  more  fun." 

The  Knight  of  the  Red  Jacket  was  the  first  to 
start,  but  with  such  impetus  did  her  steed  go  that  it 
took  all  her  wits  to  hold  in  the  spirited  mare  and  her 
lunge  at  the  ring  brought  no  result. 

Nan  came  next.  Pete,  with  the  apple  paring  dang- 
ling within  a  foot  of  his  nose,  got  up  his  best  speed 
and  galloped  with  noble  effort  to  overtake  this  tid- 
bit. 

"Good  boy,  Pete,"  cried  Ashby,  clapping  his 
hands,  and  the  sly  old  mule,  as  if  understanding, 
dashed  along  at  a  rate  which  surprised  every  one. 
Nan  had  ridden  him  bare-back  too  often  not  to  know 
his  paces  and  though  he  had  never  before  taken 
quite  such  a  gait  she  was  secure  in  her  faith  in  him 
and  actually  took  the  ring,  laughing  as  she  slipped 
down  and  offered  Pete  the  bit  of  apple  paring. 

"I  told  you  it  was  skill  and  not  paces,"  said  she 
as  she  came  back. 

Phil  was  the  next,  and  he,  too,  took  the  ring. 

"It's  not  fair,"  pouted  Mary  Lee.  "  If  you  had 
this  horse,  you'd  go  so  fast  you  couldn't  see  any- 
thing." 

"I'll  change  with  you,"  cried  Nan  quickly. 

"Suppose  you  do  that,"  proposed  Ran.     "Then 


140  The  Four  Corners 

each  one  will  have  a  fair  test.  Nan  can  ride  Mary 
Lee's  mare  next  time  and  Phil  can  take  Pete.  Then 
the  third  time  Phil  can  ride  the  mare,  Mary  Lee  can 
ride  Pete,  and  Nan  Lightfoot ;  that  will  give  every 
one  an  equal  test." 

Mary  Lee  objected  to  this,  mainly  because  Ran 
had  proposed  it,  but  the  others  overruled  her  and  so 
it  was  arranged,  Nan  a  second  time  coming  off  vic- 
torious, Phil  knocking  the  ring  from  its  place  and 
Mary  Lee  scoring  not  at  all. 

The  third  time  no  one  won  for  Pete  absolutely  re- 
fused to  carry  Mary  Lee.  He  planted  his  feet  obsti- 
nately and  firmly  and  when  urged  by  repeated 
blows  from  Ashby  at  the  rear,  kicked  out  so  vi- 
ciously that  Ashby  speedily  got  out  of  the  way.  So 
Nan  and  Mary  Lee  were  obliged  to  change  back 
again,  but  even  then  Mary  Lee  was  no  more  suc- 
cessful, for  by  this  time  Pete's  temper  had  been 
tried  beyond  pacifying  and  he  was  sulky.  No 
amount  of  coaxing  would  urge  him  to  go  faster  than 
a  slow  walk,  so  it  was  decided  to  lead  him  aside 
and  Nan  made  her  third  essay  upon  Phil's  horse, 
without  taking  a  ring.  However,  as  it  was,  the 
odds  were  in  her  favor,  for  she  had  outdistanced 
her  rivals  and  had  shown  herself  the  most  expert  in 
the  tourney.  Therefore,  it  was  she  who  was  to 
bestow  the  crown  upon  her  chosen  lady. 


THE  TOURNAMENT 


A  Tournament  With  Pete  141 

"You  might  take  one  of  us,"  said  Jack  wistfully, 
who  longed  to  be  queen  of  Love  and  Beauty. 

"I  wish.l  could,  but  you  didn't  wear  my  colors 
and  I  can't  offend  a  brother  knight  or  we  might  have 
a  joust  which  would  end  in  bloodshed,"  said  Nan 
seriously,  swinging  the  wreath  of  red  and  yellow 
leaves  upon  her  lance.  "I'm  sure  I  don't  want  to 
give  offense,"  she  added. 

Jack  looked  disappointed.  "  I  thought,  of  course, 
you'd  choose  me,  Nan,"  she  said. 

"I  will  next  time.  We'll  try  it  again  some  day, 
and  this  time  Phil  can  crown  you  as  a  maid  of 
honor." 

This  satisfied  Jack  who  felt  that  to  be  the  only 
lady  to  wear  a  crown  was  sufficient  honor. 

Nan  stood  swinging  her  wreath  and  looking  un- 
certainly around  the  field.  Upon  a  tall  bramble  a 
single  spray  of  white  shone  out,  the  bush  evidently 
having  miscalculated  the  season  and  having  im- 
agined that  it  was  still  summer.  "Ah,  my  Lady 
Bramble,"  cried  Nan,  "  I  will  crown  you,  for  you 
must  have  expected  something  unusual  or  you 
wouldn't  be  showing  yourself  at  this  time  of  year." 
And  she  flung  her  garland  over  the  bramble  bush. 

But  just  here  their  play  was  interrupted  by  a  voice 
at  the  fence,  saying,  "Who  got  dat  mewl  ?" 

Nan  ran  toward  Unc'  Landy  who  looked  at  her  in 


142  The  Four  Corners 

disapproving  surprise.  "What  all  dis ?  Dis  ain'  no 
way  fo'  young  ladies  to  dress.  None  o'  de  fambly 
evah  done  disher  way  'scusin'  dey  goes  to  er 
ball." 

"  It's  a  tournament,  Unc'  Landy,  and  I  took  the 
ring,"  cried  Nan  joyously.  "You  ought  to  have 
seen  Pete  run  the  first  time,  but  he  was  awfully 
obstinate  at  the  last." 

"  Pete  ?  You  ain'  ride  dat  ole  mewl  to  no  tourny- 
mint  ?" 

"  Yes,  I  did  and  he  ran,  really  he  did.  I'll  tell  you 
why."  And  Nan  told  how  she  had  lured  on  the  old 
creature  by  the  odor  of  apples. 

At  this  story  all  Unc'  Landy's  disapproval  vanished 
and  he  burst  into  a  loud  guffaw.  "  I  say  yuh  meks 
him  run,"  he  cried.  "  I  knows  now  how  to  git 
wuk  outen  him." 

"Oh,  but  you  mustn't  fool  him,"  said  Nan.  "I 
gave  him  the  apple  afterward.  It  would  never  do 
to  make  him  run  that  way  every  day  or  he'd  die  in 
his  tracks." 

"He  sholy  would  ef  he  keep  up  dat  gait.  Come 
erlong  hyar,  yuh  ole  fool  creetur.  Whafo'  yuh 
kickin'  up  yo'  heels  lak  yuh  young  an'  frolicsome  ? 
I  knows  yo'  age.  Come  on  hyar."  And  he  led  off 
the  old  mule  while  every  now  and  then  he  doubled 
over  with  mirth,  repeating:  "I  say  run." 


A  Tournament  With  Pete  143 

"It  was  great  fun,"  declared  Ran.  "I  didn't 
know  girls  ever  did  such  things." 

"We  do,"  returned  Nan.  "We  do  all  sorts  of 
things  and  mother  doesn't  care  so  long  as  it  isn't  ac- 
tually wrong.  She  likes  us  to  be  out-of-doors.  We 
girls  play  baseball  and  do  lots  of  things  like  that." 

"  Nan  won't  always  play,"  complained  Mary  Lee. 
"  She  gets  too  young  ladyish  sometimes  and  goes  off 
somewhere  to  mope." 

"I  don't  mope,"  returned  Nan,  "but  there  are 
other  things  I  like  to  do.  I  don't  like  boys'  games 
all  the  time,  only  sometimes.  I  don't  like  to  go  fish- 
ing because  I  hate  squirming  worms  on  hooks,  and 
1  feel  sorry  for  poor  gasping  fish." 

"Oh,  but  we  have  to  have  them  for  food,"  said 
Ashby. 

"  I  know  we  do,  but  I'd  rather  not  do  the  catching. 
I'll  let  you  do  that,"  she  added  laughing. 

They  were  all  on  thoroughly  good  terms  by  this 
time  and  since  the  afternoon  was  not  over,  they  took 
turns  in  riding,  Ran  showing  himself  so  expert  as  to 
pick  up  his  cap  from  the  ground  while  going  at  full 
speed.  He  was  able,  too,  to  ride  standing,  bareback 
or  any  other  way,  winning  great  applause  for  his 
cow-boy  acts. 

"  I  believe  I'll  ask  father  to  let  us  have  our  horses 
up  here,"  he  said.  "  It  would  be  no  end  of  comfort 


The  Four  Corners 

and  if  we  had  some  kind  of  trap  we  could  take  you 
girls  off  on  long  drives." 

"  We  have  an  old  phaeton,"  said  Nan;  "  it's  rather 
dingy  looking,  but  that  is  all  that  is  the  matter  with 
it,  and  there  is  the  sleigh.  We  don't  need  either 
since  we  sold  the  horses,  but  mother  doesn't  like  to 
part  with  them  for  the  small  price  we  could  get  for 
them  and  she  says  maybe  some  day  we  can  afford 
to  keep  a  horse." 

"We  must  surely  see  about  having  our  horses 
here,"  repeated  Ran,  and  that  very  night  he  wrote 
home  to  his  father  to  make  the  request. 

A  week  later  the  horses  arrived  and  were  stabled 
near-by.  Polly  Lewis  was  generous  enough  to  send 
her  mare  to  one  of  the  girls  once  in  a  while  and  so 
many  a  long  and  delightful  ride  did  the  cousins  have. 
Sometimes  several  of  them  would  pile  into  the  old 
phaeton  and  sometimes  two  would  go  horseback  and 
the  rest  would  drive.  Strange  to  say,  though  Mary 
Lee  was  so  much  less  impetuous  than  Nan,  and 
fonder  of  boys'  sports,  she  sat  a  horse  less  well  and 
was  never  the  graceful  and  fearless  rider  that  Nan 
was,  though  many  a  girl  might  have  envied  even 
her  good  seat  and  steady  hand. 

There  were  other  tourneys,  too,  when  Randolph 
generally  was  victor  and  crowned  Jean  who  was  his 
special  favorite,  thus  causing  pangs  of  jealousy  in 


A  Tournament  With  Pete  145 

Jack's  ambitious  heart.  Nan,  seeing  this,  resolved 
to  do  her  best  for  Jack's  sake  and  practiced  so  dili- 
gently that  once  Ran's  successes  rendering  him  care- 
less, she  actually  did  take  the  championship  from 
him  and  to  Jack's  great  delight,  crowned  this  lit- 
tle sister,  making  a  flowery  speech  as  she  did  so. 

Aunt  Sarah  smiled  contemptuously  at  these  per- 
formances which  she  called  "fool  nonsense,"  but 
since  the  children  kept  well,  were  not  in  bad  com- 
pany, and  did  not  neglect  their  school  duties,  she  did 
not  forbid  them  their  exciting  plays.  After  the  arri- 
val of  the  horses  belonging  to  the  Gordon  boys,  Pete 
was  not  again  expected  to  play  the  part  of  a  curveting 
steed,  but  was  allowed  to  rest  on  his  laurels. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
THE  SUNSET-TREE 


CHAPTER  VIII 
THE  SUNSET-TREE 

ALTHOUGH  the  girls  had  plenty  of  time  for  play,  Aunt 
Sarah  saw  to  it  that  they  had  no  really  idle  moments. 
She  was  the  most  industrious  of  persons  herself  and 
accomplished  wonders  which  she  explained  by  say- 
ing her  daily  nap  of  half  an  hour  so  fortified  her  that 
she  could  do  two  days'  work  in  one  by  taking  two 
rests  in  the  twenty-four  hours.  She  was  quick  to 
perceive  defects  in  young  people  and  in  a  half  sar- 
castic, half  humorous  way,  commented  upon  them. 
Upon  Jean,  such  remarks  had  little  effect;  they  an- 
gered Jack,  slightly  annoyed  Mary  Lee,  but  they 
hurt  Nan  to  the  quick,  she  being  the  most  sensitive 
of  them  all.  Proud  and  romantic,  high-spirited  and 
impatient,  she  was  often  thrown  from  a  pinnacle  of 
eager  expectation  into  the  depths  of  a  present  dis- 
comfort. It  was  on  such  occasions  that  she  fled  to 
her  nook  in  the  pines  which  she  had  finally  named 
"  Place  o'  Pines."  Here  she  would  often  solace  her- 
self by  writing  to  her  mother  whom  she  missed, 
perhaps,  more  than  any  of  the  others  did.  Reports 
coming  from  Mrs.  Corner  were  on  the  whole  favor- 
able. "  If  I  can  stay  long  enough,"  she  wrote,  "  the 
doctors  give  me  every  hope  of  entire  recovery." 


The  Four  Corners 

It  was  one  afternoon  when  Aunt  Sarah  had  been 
particularly  exacting  that  Nan  fled  to  Place  o'  Pines. 
She  had  not  been  there  for  some  time,  having  been 
occupied  in  too  many  ways  to  have  many  moods. 
This,  however,  had  been  a  particularly  horrid  day. 
In  the  first  place  she  had  come  down  late  to  break- 
fast and  Aunt  Sarah  had  said:  "  Good-afternoon," 
when  she  entered  the  dining-room.  That  made  all 
the  others  giggle  and  she  felt  so  small.  She  needn't 
have  been  late,  of  course,  but  while  she  was  putting 
on  her  shoes  and  stockings  she  thought  of  a  new 
tune  and  had  been  humming  it  over  so  as  not  to  lose 
the  air,  and,  as  she  sat  there  dreaming,  the  time 
slipped  away. 

Then  of  course,  Mary  Lee  might  have  seen  that 
she  was  in  a  bad  humor  and  should  not  have  teased 
her  about  dawdling,  making  her  answer  sharply. 

"  You  old  sharp  corner,"  Maty  Lee  then  had  said. 

"  You're  a  Corner  yourself  as  much  as  I  am," 
Nan  had  retorted.  "You're  an  angle;  you're  an 
angle  worm,"  was  Mary  Lee's  triumphant 
reply.  And  then  Randolph  had  shouted  with 
laughter.  Nan's  cheeks  reddened  as  she  re- 
membered his  mirth.  She  hated  to  be  laughed 
at,  especially  by  boys,  and  by  older  boys  worst  of 
all.  She  didn't  mind  Ashby  and  Phil  so  much,  for 
they  were  younger,  but  she  did  very  much  mind 


The  Sunset-Tree  151 

Randolph's  laughter,  so  she  had  taken  to  her  heels 
and  had  not  spoken  to  any  of  them  since.  She 
hoped  they  would  let  her  alone  and  that  she  would 
be  safe  in  her  hiding-place  till  supper-time. 

It  was  two  months  since  her  mother  had  left 
home  and  longer  since  she  had  parted  from  her 
Aunt  Helen.  As  she  came  through  the  orchard  to 
where  the  pines  stood  sombrely  green,  she  saw  a 
charred  space  just  outside  her  tiny  grove.  The 
boys  had  evidently  been  there  roasting  potatoes,  for 
there  were  skins  and  corn-husks  scattered  about. 

"Oh,  dear,"  sighed  Nan,  "if  they  have  found 
out  my  darling  grove,  I  shall  never  have  any  more 
peace."  But,  apparently,  the  boys  had  not  entered 
the  charmed  castle,  for  as  Nan  crept  through  the 
underbrush  she  saw  that  all  was  as  she  had  left  it, 
only  a  bit  of  white  paper  fluttered  from  the 
music  rack  to  which  it  was  fastened  by  a  pin. 

"They  have  been  here  after  all,"  she  exclaimed, 
"  and  have  found  me  out.  I  suppose  that  is  some 
foolish  note  they  have  left."  She  took  the  paper 
lo  the  edge  of  the  grove  where  it  was  lighter  and 
read  : 

"  Come,  come,  come, 
Come  to  the  sunset-tree. 
The  day  is  past  and  gone  ; 
The  woodman's  axe  lies  free, 
And  the  reaper's  work  is  done. 


152  The  Four  Corners 

"Come  at  ten  o'clock  to-morrow  by  command 
of  your  FAIRY  GODMOTHER. 

"  October  14." 

Surprised  and  pleased,  Nan's  first  thought  was 
"  I  must  go  tell  mother."  Then  with  a  rush  came 
the  recollection  of  her  mother's  absence.  She  was 
the  only  one  who  knew  the  secret.  Her  Aunt 
Helen  had  returned.  Had  she  come  alone  ? 

Nan  looked  across  the  little  brook  toward  Uplands. 
The  house  seemed  as  silent  and  deserted  as  in  the 
weeks  and  months  past.  Slipping  the  paper  into 
her  blouse,  she  determined  to  go  and  reconnoitre. 

The  house  looked  grim  and  uninviting.  Nan 
wondered  if  ever  it  had  seemed  otherwise,  if  ever 
the  doors  had  been  thrown  open  and  from  the  win- 
dows had  looked  smiling  faces,  her  Aunt  Nancy's, 
her  Aunt  Helen's,  her  father's.  The  stick-tights  and 
jimpson  weed  held  her  with  detaining  hands  as 
she  ran  back  through  the  unmown  lawn.  They 
seemed  like  unseen  fingers  from  fairies  under  a 
spell.  Nan  wondered  at  what  mystic  word  the 
doors  of  this  haunted  dwelling  would  fly  open  to 
her. 

"Suppose,"  Nan  said  to  herself,  "  an  ogre  lived 
in  that  dark  woods  and  I  was  in  his  power."  She 
gave  a  little  self-reproachful  sigh  as  she  reached  the 
sunset-tree.  "  Mother  would  tell  me  that  I  was  in 


The  Sunset-Tree 

the  power  of  an  ogre,  I  suppose,"  she  continued, 
sitting  down  on  the  gnarled  roots  which  stretched 
far  along  above  soil.  "  Mother  would  say  old  ogre 
Impatience  and  the  bad  fairy  that  makes  me  get  to 
dreaming,  had  me  in  their  clutches.  Maybe  they 
have.  I  wish  1  could  tell  my  fairy  godmother 
about  it,  and  that  she  could  give  me  a  phial  of 
precious  liquid  to  squeeze  on  the  ogre's  eyelids  so 
he  would  go  to  sleep  and  never  wake  up;  and  1 
wish  she  would  give  me  a  charm  to  change  the 
fairy  that  makes  me  dream  into  one  that  would 
make  me  jump  right  up  and  get  dressed  in  a  jiffy. 
I  wonder  why  it  is  J  always  love  so  to  moon  over 
my  shoes  and  stockings.  All  sorts  of  ideas  come 
to  me  then.  Perhaps  if  I  did  nothing  but  put  on 
shoes  and  stockings  I'd  some  day  have  an  idea  come 
to  me  that  would  be  worth  while."  The  whimsey 
of  spending  the  rest  of  her  life  in  putting  on  shoes 
and  stockings  made  her  laugh. 

The  sunset  was  gorgeous  gold  and  red  over  the 
top  of  the  hill.  Lakes  and  mountains  and  turreted 
cities  appeared  in  the  sky.  "The  holy  city,"  said 
Nan,  becoming  grave.  "That  is  where  papa  is. 
Now  up  go  the  roses,"  she  went  on  as  pink  clouds 
detached  themselves  and  drifted  off  overhead.  "  I'm 
sending  you  those  roses,  papa,"  she  said.  "  Please 
take  them  into  heaven  with  you  and  I'll  try  to  get 


154  l*16  Four  Corners 

rid  of  the  ogre  Impatience  and  the  Poppy  fairy. 
Poppies  put  you  to  sleep  they  say,  so  I'll  call  her 
that.  To-morrow  I'll  stand  on  one  foot  to  put  on 
my  shoes  and  stockings,  for  if  I  sit  down  I  am  lost. 
I  wish  I  knew,  papa  darling,  if  you  could  look 
through  those  bright  golden  cracks  in  the  sky  and 
could  see  me  standing  here  under  the  sunset- 
tree." 

She  returned  soberly  home  and  deliberately  sought 
out  Mary  Lee  and  the  boys  whom  she  found  practic- 
ing the  double  shuffle  on  the  back  porch. 

"  Where  have  you  been?"  asked  Ran,  pleasantly. 

"In  the  enchanted  woods,"  returned  Nan,  "but 
it  was  getting  gruesome  there  so  I  came  away." 

Ran  laughed.  He  was  getting  used  to  these 
speeches  from  Nan,  and  rather  liked  them. 

"I  can  do  it  now,"  said  Mary  Lee  eagerly.  "I 
got  Mitty  to  show  me.  See,  Nan."  And  she  exe- 
cuted the  step  easily. 

"I  don't  know  that  step,  but  I  know  another  one," 
said  Nan,  glad  to  perceive  that  her  ill  temper  of  the 
morning  was  forgotten,  and  being  a  little  ashamed 
of  supposing  that  they  would  miss  her  much  when 
she  went  off  alone. 

The  noise  of  their  break-downs  brought  Aunt 
Sarah  to  the  door.  "  What  in  the  world  are  you  all 
doing  ?  "  she  asked. 


The  Sunset-Tree  15$ 

"Just  doing  some  steps,"  replied  Mary  Lee,  ex- 
pertly executing  her  double  shuffle. 

"You  might  have  been  better  employed,"  re- 
turned Aunt  Sarah.  "It  would  have  been  just  as 
well,  Mary  Lee,  if  you  had  been 'giving  some  at- 
tention to  darning  your  stockings.  There  is  a  fine 
large  hole  in  the  knee  of  one  where  you  scraped  it 
against  a  tree  you  were  climbing,  I  suppose.  And, 
Nan,  it  wouldn't  do  any  harm  if  you  were  to  see 
where  you  left  the  shirt-waist  you  took  off  this 
morning.  We  are  not  Japanese  to  hang  up  things 
on  the  floor." 

"  I  wish  we  were,"  answered  Nan.  "  I'd  like  to 
wear  kimonos  and  shoes  that  slip  up  and  down  at 
the  heel,  and  I'd  not  mind  living  in  a  house  made  of 
paper  screens." 

"Poor  protection  they'd  be  to  you,"  replied  Aunt 
Sarah,  "for  you  would  punch  a  hole  in  every  one 
before  a  day  was  over." 

Nan  was  not  destructive  and  considered  this  an 
unjust  imputation,  so  she  stalked  off  with  her  head 
in  the  air.  She  didn't  believe  but  that  she  had  hung 
up  the  shirt-waist  and  that  it  had  slipped  down. 
Aunt  Sarah  was  so  particular  and  was  always  ding- 
ing at  her  about  leaving  bureau  drawers  and  closet 
doors  unclosed.  When  one  is  in  a  hurry,  how  is  it 
possible  always  to  see  that  everything  is  just  so  ? 


156  The  Four  Corners 

She  found  the  waist  not  on  the  floor  of  the  closet, 
but  by  the  chair  where  she  had  laid  her  clothes  the 
night  before.  There  were  some  of  Jack's  belong- 
ings, too,  strewed  around  the  room,  but  Mary  Lee's 
and  Jean's  were  carefully  put  away.  Nan  hung  up 
the  waist  and  then  sat  down  by  the  window. 
Suppose  the  things  in  the  big  house  at  Uplands  had 
been  allowed  to  lie  around  helter-skelter,  she  didn't 
believe  it  would  look  so  attractive  as  she  imagined. 
This  brought  a  new  train  of  thought  which  she 
carried  out,  leaning  her  arms  on  the  sill,  her  chin 
resting  upon  them  till  Aunt  Sarah's  entrance  aroused 
her  from  her  reverie. 

"Up  in  the  clouds,  I  suppose,"  she  exclaimed. 
"  You  ought  to  live  in  a  baloon  or  a  sky-scraper, 
Nan,  you  so  seldom  want  to  come  down  to  earth. 
I  want  you  to  find  Jack  and  Jean  and  tell  them  to 
come  in  and  get  ready  for  supper." 

Nan  departed  on  her  errand,  smiling  to  herself  in 
the  thought  that  she  had  a  secret  from  them  all. 
She  was  out  of  sorts  with  everybody  in  the  house, 
but  to-morrow  would  be  the  sunset-tree  and 
Aunt  Helen. 

She  was  promptly  on  hand  at  the  trysting-place 
the  next  morning,  though  finding  some  difficulty  in 
getting  there  in  time  as  it  seemed  that  Aunt  Sarah 
had  a  hundred  things  for  her  to  do.  That  she  did 


The  Sunset-Tree  157 

not  dream  over  them  goes  without  the  saying,  and 
Aunt  Sarah  congratulated  herself  upon  the  seeming 
improvement  under  her  reproofs.  Promptly,  as  Nan 
appeared,  the  little  figure  of  her  Aunt  Helen  was 
seen  approaching  her.  She  did  not  wait  for  Nan 
to  come  up  but  ran  toward  her  and  clasped  her  in 
her  arms,  and  Nan  gave  her  as  close  a  hug.  Her 
imagination  was  strongly  appealed  to  by  this  rela- 
tive, so  little  known  and  who  had  chosen  such 
fascinating  methods  of  becoming  acquainted. 

"  You  dear  Aunt  Helen,"  cried  Nan,  "where  did 
you  come  from  ?  " 

"  You  know  me  then,"  said  her  aunt. 

"Oh,  yes.  When  I  told  mother,  she  guessed 
who  you  were." 

"  And  she  let  you  come  to  meet  me  to-day  ?  "  said 
Miss  Helen,  with  a  strain  of  eagerness  in  her  voice. 

"She  didn't  know.  She  wasn't  here  to  ask. 
She's  gone  away,  you  know." 

"I  didn't  know.     Tell  me  about  it,  please." 

Nan  poured  forth  her  woes  and  fears  concerning 
her  mother. 

"Oh,  dear,  oh,  dear,"  sighed  Miss  Helen.  "We 
didn't  know.  Oh,  my  dear." 

"Do  you  think  she  may  be  very  ill?"  asked  Nan 
her  eyes  wide  with  alarm. 

"  I  hope  not.     I  hope  not."     Her  aunt  spoke  more 


158  The  Four  Corners 

cheerfully.  "No  doubt  she  will  get  quite  well 
where  she  is." 

"She  says  she  will  if  she  can  stay  long  enough." 

"She  must  stay."  Miss  Helen  spoke  with  de- 
cision. "Did  she  mind  very  much,  Nancy,  that 
you  met  me?" 

"Oh,  no;  she  was  glad.  She  said "  the  girl 

hesitated. 

"Go  on,   please."     Miss  Helen  spoke  pleadingly. 

"  She  told  me  that  she  had  said  something  that 
she  regretted." 

"And  that  was "  Miss  Helen  leaned  forward 

eagerly  and  caught  Nan's  hand  in  a  tight  clasp. 

"  That  she  never  wanted  to  see  any  of  the  Corner 
family  again,"  here  Nan  hurried  on.  "It  wasn't 
any  wonder,  was  it,  when  she  was  in  such  trouble 
and  distress  ?" 

"1  never  blamed  her,"  murmured  her  aunt. 

"She  said  she  ought  to  have  tried  to  be  friendly 
to  you  and  " — Nan  looked  up  shyly,  "  that  you  used 
to  love  me  dearly." 

"  I've  always  loved  you  dearly,"  returned  her  aunt 
warmly,  "and  I  hope  I  always  shall.  Ah,  my  dear, 
you  don't  know  what  it  is  to  have  those  dreadful 
bitternesses  come  into  a  family.  I  loved  you  all, 
your  father,  your  mother,  you  children,  but  I  loved 
my  mother,  too,  and  she  needed  me,  for  I  was  all 


The  Sunset-Tree  159 

she  had  left,  and — well,  never  mind  now.  I  am  so 
very  glad  time  has  softened  your  mother's  feeling, 
toward  me  at  least,  and  I  am  so  sorry,  so  very  sorry, 
that  she  is  not  well.  Poor  dear  Jack,  it  would  have 
been  a  blow  to  him." 

"  Don't  say  that!  Don't! "  cried  Nan.  "  It  makes 
me  feel  as  if  I  ought  to  be  scared  and  trembly  about 
mother  and  1  don't  want  to."  She  put  her  head 
down  in  Miss  Helen's  lap  and  burst  into  tears. 

"My  dearest  child,"  cried  Miss  Helen,  " please 
don't  cry.  You  make  me  so  miserable." 

"  I  won't  cry,"  said  Nan  lifting  her  head.  "She  is 
better,  oh,  she  is,  Aunt  Helen." 

"  I  am  sure  of  it,  darling.  Now,  do  you  want  to 
know  what  brings  me  here?" 

"  I  do  indeed." 

"  I  have  crossed  the  ocean  twice  since  I  saw  you. 
I  took  your  kiss  to  your  grandmother  all  the  way 
over  with  me,  and  oh,  Nannie,  dear,  you  don't  know 
how  much  it  meant  to  her  !  The  first  tears  I  have 
seen  her  shed  for  many  a  long  day  came  to  her  eyes 
when  1  told  her  about  you  and  what  you  said. 
Then  she  was  restless'  and  unhappy  until  she  de- 
cided that  nothing  would  do  but  she  must  see  you. 
At  first  she  urged  me  to  send  for  you  or  to  come 
over  and  bring  you  back,  but  I  could  not  leave  her 
and  I  doubted  if  you  would  be  allowed  to  come. 


160  The  Four  Corners 

When  she  realized  that,  for  the  first  time  in  all  these 
years,  she  expressed  a  desire  to  come  back  to 
America.  She  has  come  to  see  you,  Nannie.  You 
won't  refuse  to  go  to  her,  will  you  ?" 

Nannie's  heart  was  beating  fast.  At  last  she  was 
to  see  the  beautiful  grandmother  whose  eyes  fol- 
lowed her  about  from  the  portrait  over  the  mantel. 
"Oh,  I  want  to  see  her,"  she  said.  "I  can't  ask 
mother,  but  I  know  she  would  say  yes;  I  know 
she  would.  Where  is  she,  Aunt  Helen  ?  And  when 
can  I  see  her  ?  " 

"She  is  coming  home.  She  is  coming  here  as 
soon  as  I  can  get  the  house  ready.  She  is  with 
friends  in  Washington  and  I  have  engaged  Martha 
Jackson  to  come  over  to  clean  the  house  and  with 
Henry  Johnson's  help  we  shall  soon  have  everything 
in  order." 

"I  wish  I  could  help,"  exclaimed  Nan. 

"  Would  you  really  like  to  ?" 

"I  certainly  would." 

"Then  you  may.  We'll  go  right  over  now  for  I 
promised  Martha  I'd  come  back  soon  so  she  would 
know  what  to  do  next." 

This  prospect  of  helping  at  Uplands  was  one  of 
sheer  delight  to  Nan.  It  was  what  gave  her  the 
greatest  pleasure,  and  this  opportunity  of  becoming 
intimate  with  the  furnishings  of  the  house  at  Up- 


The  Sunset-Tree  161 

lands  was  beyond  anything  she  had  ever  hoped 
for. 

Through  the  long  weeds  the  two  made  their  way 
to  spend  the  day  in  uncovering  furniture,  unpacking 
boxes  and  setting  things  to  rights  generally.  During 
the  process,  Nan  became  confidential  and  revealed 
more  of  her  own  character  and  of  her  home  life  than 
she  could  have  done  in  days  of  ordinary  intercourse, 
so  that  Miss  Helen  came  to  know  them  all  through 
her:  Jean's  gentle  sweetness,  Jack's  passionate  out- 
bursts and  mischievous  pranks,  Mary  Lee's  fondness 
for  sports  and  her  little  self-absorbed  ways;  even 
Aunt  Sarah  stood  out  on  all  the  sharp  outlines  of 
her  peculiarities.  Her  unselfishness  and  her  gener- 
osity were  made  as  visible  as  her  sarcasms  and  tart 
speeches,  so  that  Miss  Helen  often  smiled  covertly 
at  Nan's  innocent  revelations. 

There  was  uncovered,  too,  the  lack  of  means,  the 
make-shifts  and  goings  without  in  some  such  speech 
as:  "  Dear  me,  I  wonder  if  our  old  sofa  ever  looked 
like  that  when  its  cover  was  fresh  and  new.  It's 
just  no  color  now  and  mother  has  patched  and 
darned  it  till  it  can't  hold  together  much  longer,  and 
the  springs  make  such  a  funny  squeak  and  go  way 
down  when  you  sit  on  it.  Jack  has  bounced  all  the 
spring  out  of  it,  I  reckon;"  or,  "we  had  a  pretty 
pitcher  something  like  that  but  Jack  broke  it  and 


162  The  Four  Corners 

now  we  have  to  use  it  in  our  room,  for  you  know  we 
couldn't  let  the  boys  use  a  pitcher  with  a  broken  nose. " 

There  were  moments,  too,  when  Nan  spoke  of 
the  ogre  Impatience  and  the  Poppy  fairy,  both  of 
whom  Miss  Helen  seemed  to  know  all  about,  for 
she  fell  in  so  readily  with  all  Nan's  fanciful  ideas 
that  the  child  felt  as  if  she  had  known  her  always, 
and  often  would  fly  at  her  impetuously  and  give  her 
a  violent  hug,  frequently  to  the  peril  of  some  deli- 
cate ornament  or  fragile  dish  which  she  might 
have  in  her  hand. 

As  room  after  room  was  restored  to  its  former 
condition,  Nan  breathed  a  soft:  "  Oh,  how  lovely," 
but  when  the  drawing  room  was  revealed  and  all 
the  beautiful  pictures  were  unveiled,  she  sat  in  the 
middle  of  the  floor  and  gazed  around.  All  this  she 
had  longed  to  see  and  now  she  was  in  the  midst  of 
it.  "I  have  a  right  to  be  here,  haven't  I,  Aunt 
Helen  ?"  she  asked.  "  I  really  have  a  right.  You 
invited  me." 

"Why,  of  course,  Nan." 

"I  shall  tell  Aunt  Sarah  I  had.  She  will  say  I 
sneaked  in  or  stood  around  till  you  had  to  ask  me, 
but  I  didn't." 

"  Of  course  not,  you  silly  little  girl.  Come  now, 
1  am  half  starved.  Let  us  go  see  what  Martha  has 
ready  for  us." 


The  Sunset-Tree  163 

"  Oh,  I  forgot  about  eating.  I  wonder  what 
Aunt  Sarah  will  say  to  my  not  coming  home." 

"  Will  she  be  alarmed  ?  " 

"No,  not  that  exactly,  because  sometimes  I  take 
my  pocket  full  of  biscuits  and  stay  out  all  day  on  Sat- 
urdays. I  play  I'm  all  sorts  of  people  and  that  1 
have  all  kinds  of  wonderful  things  to  eat.  Have  I 
ever  had  a  meal  in  this  house  ?  " 

"  Many  a  time  you  have  sat  in  your  father's  high- 
chair,  and  have  banged  on  the  table  with  a  spoon, 
and,  later  on,  you  had  many  a  sly  meal  with  us 
when  you  would  run  off  and  I  would  catch  you  com- 
ing here.  You  couldn't  cross  the  brook  but  would 
stand  on  the  other  side  and  call  to  me,  'Nenny, 
Nenny,'  for  that  was  as  near  Helen  as  you  could 
get." 

Nan  sighed.  "  I  really  think  I  ought  to  go  home. 
I  could  come  back,  I  think." 

"  And  leave  me  to  eat  my  luncheon  alone  ?  " 

Nan  hesitated.  It  didn't  seem  very  kind  to  do 
that,  so  she  overcame  her  scruples  and  sat  down  to 
the  meal  Martha  had  prepared  for  them,  wondering 
what  Aunt  Sarah  would  say  when  she  heard  about  it. 
She  felt  a  little  startled  when  she  stopped  to  consider 
possibilities.  Aunt  Sarah,  though  tart  of  speech, 
seldom  resorted  to  active  punishment  unless  she 
considered  the  limit  had  been  overstepped,  then  she 


164  The  Four  Corners 

did  not  hesitate  to  mete  out  supperless  solitary  con- 
finement to  the  aggressor.  "I  don't  care,"  said  Nan 
resolutely  to  herself,  "  I'm  not  going  to  be  impolite 
to  Aunt  Helen  even  if  Aunt  Sarah  doesn't  approve. 
She  can  punish  me  if  she  wants  to.  I  shall  not  mind 
going  without  my  supper."  In  consequence  she 
ate  a  hearty  luncheon,  being  hungry  from  exertion 
and,  moreover,  wisely  providing  for  future  possible 
fasting. 

It  was  a  memorable  day  and  when  at  last  they  left 
the  house  and  Miss  Helen  locked  the  door  behind 
them  she  told  Nan  that  she  would  hang  out  from  the 
second  story  window  a  red  cloth  as  a  signal  when 
she  had  returned  from  Washington,  and  that  Nan 
was  to  come  over  after  that  as  soon  as  possible. 
She  kissed  the  child  good-bye  and  said,  "  I  dreaded 
coming  back,  Nannie  dear,  but  now  I  am  glad  to 
come  since  I  have  seen  you." 

So  Nan  went  off  with  an  exultant  feeling  in  her 
heart.  It  was  all  like  a  fairy  tale;  Aunt  Helen  the 
fairy  godmother,  her  grandmother  the  queen  of 
the  fairies.  This  was  the  enchanted  castle  and  Nan 
was  to  be  given  entrance  to  it.  She  ran  down  the 
hill,  stopped  at  the  sunset-tree  to  look  at  the  red- 
dening sky,  crossed  the  brook,  and  ran  plump  into 
Aunt  Sarah. 


CHAPTER  IX 
IMPRISONMENT 


CHAPTER  IX 
IMPRISONMENT 

"  NANCY  WESTON  CORNER,"  exclaimed  Aunt  Sarah, 
"  where  have  you  been  all  day  ?  Who  was  that  you 
were  talking  to  up  there  at  the  house  ?  I  saw  you 
coming  away." 

"It  was  my  Aunt  Helen,"  replied  Nan,  stoutly. 

"And  have  you  been  up  there  hobnobbing  with 
her  and  that  wicked  old  mother  of  hers  ?" 

"1  reckon  I've  a  right  to  hobnob  with  my  own 
aunt,"  retorted  Nan,  immediately  up  in  arms,  "and 
as  for  my  grandmother,  she  isn't  there  and  she'd  not 
be  wicked  if  she  were." 

"Much  you  know  about  it.  If  you  did  know, 
you'd  have  more  pride  than  to  insinuate  yourself  into 
a  household  where  you  are  not  wanted." 

"I  do  know  all  about  it,  and  I  didn't  insinuate 
myself  ;  I  was  invited.  Aunt  Helen  invited  me." 

"  When  did  you  see  her  ?  How  did  she  find  you 
out  ?  " 

"I  saw  her  weeks  ago  and  my  mother  knew  all 
about  it.  She  did  not  object  in  the  least." 

"That's  a  likely  story." 


168  The  Four  Corners 

Nan's  eyes  flashed.  "I'll  thank  you  to  believe, 
Miss  Sarah  Elizabeth  Dent,  that  I  don't  tell  stories." 

"Don't  you  speak  to  me  in  that  way,"  returned 
Aunt  Sarah  angrily.  "  March  yourself  home.  You 
know  as  well  as  you're  alive  that  neither  your 
mother  nor  I  ever  cross  the  brook  and  that  you  are 
not  allowed  to  do  it  either." 

Nan  wrenched  her  shoulder  from  Aunt  Sarah's 
grasp.  "  I  don't  care  anything  about  what  you  do," 
she  said,  rebelliously;  "my  mother  knows  I  go  to 
my  grandmother's  house,  so  there." 

"  We'll  see  about  this,"  said  Aunt  Sarah.  "  Not  a 
step  do  you  go  from  the  house  till  I  have  word  from 
your  mother.  I'd  be  ashamed  to  be  beholden  to 
them  for  so  much  as  a  crust  of  bread,  and  to  let 
them  have  the  chance  to  patronize  you  after  all  that 
is  past  is  more  than  my  family  pride  will  allow. 
You  knew  perfectly  well  I  would  never  give  rny 
consent  to  your  going  there  and  you  sneaked  off 
without  so  much  as  a  word  to  any  one  and  were 
gone  all  day  so  that  I  worried " 

"I  don't  see  why  you  worried,"  Nan  interrupted. 
"  I  am  often  gone  all  day." 

"Don't  contradict  me,"  said  Aunt  Sarah  severely. 
"  There  is  one  thing  I  will  not  stand  from  servants 
and  children  and  that  is  impertinence.  You  can  go 
to  my  room  and  stay  there  till  I  can  inquire  into  this. 


Imprisonment  169 

I'll  sleep  with  Mary  Lee.  You  don't  cross  the 
threshold  of  that  room  till  your  mother  says  so." 

Nan's  indignation  by  this  time  had  risen  to  its 
greatest  height.  If  she  were  to  be  punished  for  one 
impertinence,  why  not  for  more  ?  So  she  turned  and 
said:  "You  needn't  touch  me;  I'll  go.  But  I'll  tell 
you  one  thing;  that  1  don't  believe  my  grandmother 
is  half  as  wicked  as  you  are  and  she'd  not  treat  me 
this  way  no  matter  what.  If  1  do  go  to  your  room 
1  shall  ask  the  Lord  to  bless  her  in  her  down-sittings 
and  her  up-risings  just  the  same.  You  can  write  to 
my  mother  if  you  want  to,  and  ask  her  if  I  did 
wrong  to  go  to  see  my  Aunt  Helen.  I  know  what 
she  will  say  and  I'll  ask  her  if  I  can't  stay  there 
altogether  till  she  comes  back.  They  wouldn't  call 
me  a  story-teller  and  they'd  treat  me  better  than  you 
do.  They  are  nearer  kin  anyhow." 

Having  delivered  herself  of  this  indignant  speech, 
Nan  took  to  her  heels,  reached  the  house,  ran  to  her 
aunt's  room  and  slammed  the  door  after  her,  then 
she  burst  into  tears  of  rage.  Never  before  had  her 
temper  brought  her  to  the  making  of  such  remarks 
to  Aunt  Sarah.  They  had  had  their  little  tiffs  but 
such  anger  on  both  sides  had  never  been  displayed. 

If  there  was  one  subject  above  another  upon 
which  Miss  Sarah  was  excitable,  it  was  the  Corner 
family.  She  resented  to  the  very  core  of  her  being 


170  The  Four  Corners 

the  elder  Mrs.  Corner's  neglect  of  her  son's  family, 
and  that  Nan  should  deliberately  make  overtures 
aroused  all  her  indignation.  Nan  could  have  said 
nothing  to  enrage  her  more  than  to  compare  her 
unfavorably  with  Mrs.  Corner,  senior.  So  there  was 
open  war  between  them  and  Nan  might  well  feel 
that  she  had  gone  too  far. 

However,  the  girl  was  more  aggrieved  and  angry 
than  sorry,  and  was  specially  annoyed  that  she  had 
been  sent  to  her  aunt's  room;  that  seemed  to  her  a 
needless  severity,  for  what  harm  would  there  be  in 
allowing  her  to  occupy  the  room  she  shared  with  her 
sisters  ?  But  it  was  some  satisfaction,  Nan  reflected, 
that  her  aunt  was  punishing  herself  likewise,  for  she 
disliked  a  bedfellow. 

It  was  not  long  before  Jack's  pattering  feet  were 
heard  upon  the  stair  and  presently  she  burst  into 
the  larger  room  calling:  "Nannie,  Nannie,  where 
are  you  ?  " 

"  Here,"  answered  Nan  in  a  depressed  voice. 

Jack  stuck  her  head  in  at  the  door.  "What  you 
in  here  for,  Nan  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Aunt  Sarah  sent  me,"  returned  Nan,  biting  her 
lip  and  trying  to  keep  the  tears  back. 

"Why,  what  for?" 

"Just  because  I  went  to  Uplands  without  asking 
her.  Mother  did  not  object  when  she  was  here, 


Imprisonment  171 

and  Aunt  Helen  was  there  and  wanted  me."  It  was 
a  relief  to  pour  out  her  grievances  if  only  to  Jack. 

"  A  fellow  feeling  makes  us  wondrous  kind," 
and  Jack's  own  experiences  made  her  appreciate 
the  situation.  Moreover,  it  seemed  the  height  of 
calamity  to  her  that  Nan  should  be  punished;  Nan, 
who  was  the  eldest  and  who  really  had  a  right  to 
read  lectures  to  her  younger  sisters.  That  she 
should  be  in  disgrace  was  something  to  awe  and 
impress  one.  "  She's  a  mean  old  thing,"  said  Jack 
winding  her  arms  around  her  sister's  neck.  "  Who's 
Aunt  Helen,  Nannie  ?  " 

"Papa's  own  sister,  and  she  has  come  back  to 
Uplands.  I  saw  her  before  mother  went  away, 
but  I  didn't  tell  any  one  but  mother.  It  was  a  secret 
and  I  couldn't  tell.  She  wants  me  to  come  over 
there  as  soon  as  she  and  grandmother  get  back  from 
Washington,  and  now  I  can't  go  for  Aunt  Sarah 
says  1  must  stay  here  till  she  hears  from  mother. 
She  was  just  furious  with  me.  They  are  not  her 
kinsfolk;  I  don't  see  why  she  should  meddle. 
Aunt  Helen  will  expect  me  and  will  wonder  why  I 
don't  come."  And  the  tears  again  started  to  Nan's 
eyes. 

"  I'll  go  tell  her  and  then  she'll  know  why,"  said 
Jack  generously. 

"  And    get   punished,   too.     No,   ducky   dear,    I 


ij2  The  Four  Corners 

can't  have  that,  but  it  is  good  of  you  to  offer  to  go. 
I'll  have  to  think  out  some  way,  for  if  I  am  to  be 
shut  up  here  till  Aunt  Sarrah  hears  from  mother, 
Aunt  Helen  must  have  some  word.  I  don't  think  I 
did  a  thing  wrong  in  going  to  see  my  own  aunt, 
but  Aunt  Sarah  says  I  have  no  pride,  and  that  it  is 
wicked  to  think  of  wanting  to  go  over  there,  but 
that  is  just  her  way  of  thinking.  It  isn't  mine  at  all, 
and  it  is  horrid,  horrid  for  her  to  shut  me  up  as  if  I 
were  a  baby,  and  to  shame  me  before — before  the 
boys." 

Jack  gazed  at  her  in  silent  sympathy.  She  under- 
stood all  about  it.  Many  and  many  a  time  had  she 
passed  through  just  such  tribulations.  Many  and 
many  a  time  had  she  been  punished  for  something 
in  which  she  could  see  no  wrong.  How  many 
times  had  her  motives  been  misunderstood,  and  how 
often  had  she  been  censured  for  what  seemed  to 
her  a  praiseworthy  act  ?  Oh,  yes,  she  could  readily 
sympathize  with  Nan,  and  because  Nan  had  more 
than  once  helped  her  out  of  a  difficulty,  she  would 
do  her  best  for  her  sister.  "  I'll  bring  you  some- 
thing to  eat,"  she  promised.  "You  shan't  be  fed 
on  bread  and  water,  and  I'll  tell  the  boys  that  Aunt 
Sarah  is  an  old  witch  and  is  just  torturing  you." 

Nan  at  that  moment  felt  like  heartily  endorsing 
that  opinion  but  she  suddenly  remembered  that  it 


Imprisonment  1 73 

would  never  do  to  undermine  Aunt  Sarah's  author- 
ity over  Jack,  so  she  replied  rather  weakly :  "Oh,  1 
suppose  it  is  all  right.  She  thinks  she  is  doing  the 
best  thing  because  she  doesn't  know  all  about  it. 
When  she  hears  from  mother,  she  will  understand. 
I  don't  mind  anything  so  much  as  disappointing 
Aunt  Helen.  I  wish  you  would  find  Mary  Lee  and 
send  her  to  me,"  she  said  with  sudden  resolution, 
feeling  that  Jack's  championship  might  not  serve 
her  as  well  as  Mary  Lee's,  for  the  latter  being  a 
calm  and  more  dispassionate  person  was  usually 
more  convincing,  and  if  Nan  could  persuade  her 
that  she  was  a  martyr,  the  boys  would  be  given  a 
proper  view  of  the  situation. 

"  What  do  you  want  Mary  Lee  for  ?  "  asked  Jack 
a  little  jealously  and  because  she  must  always  know 
the  whys  and  wherefores. 

"  1  want  to  see  her  before  Aunt  Sarah  does,"  said 
Nan  with  a  ghost  of  a  smile,  and  Jack  departed 
upon  her  errand. 

It  was  not  long  before  Mary  Lee,  all  curiosity, 
made  her  appearance.  That  Aunt  Sarah  should 
have  exercised  her  authority  in  such  a  decided  man- 
ner, and  that  Nan  should  have  fallen  under  her  dis- 
pleasure was  a  matter  of  no  small  moment  to  each 
of  the  four  Corners,  for  who  knew  now  where  the 
blow  might  next  fall?  "  Of  course,"  commented 


174  The  Four  Corners 

Mary  Lee,  when  Nan's  story  was  told,  "  it  was  be- 
cause you  didn't  ask  Aunt  Sarah's  permission,  and 
because  you  answered  her  so.  And  then,  I  really 
don't  see,  Nan,  how  you  could  have  been  willing  to 
go  over  there,  after  all  that  has  happened.  You 
know  how  Aunt  Sarah  feels  about  it  and  mother, 
too." 

"  Mother  isn't  so  dead  set  against  our  going 
there,"  Nan  informed  her.  "She  would  like  to 
make  up  with  Aunt  Helen,  I  know  she  would,  and 
1  know  she  will  say  I  am  to  go  if  I  choose." 

"Well  I  shouldn't  choose,"  returned  Mary  Lee, 
her  head  in  air.  "  1  don't  see  how  you  can  feel  so. 
I  shouldn't  want  to  make  up  with  them  when  they 
have  treated  mother  so  mean." 

"  Aunt  Helen  hasn't.  She's  always  loved  us,  but 
she  had  to  stand  by  her  mother  and  that  was  right," 
persisted  Nan.  Then  in  a  little  superior  way — 
"  You  don't  understand  all  the  ins  and  outs  of  it  as 
1  do,  Mary  Lee." 

"I  don't  care,"  returned  Mary  Lee,  immediately 
on  the  defensive.  "I  think  you  are  very  mealy- 
mouthed  and  are  not  showing  proper  respect  to  the 
family." 

"  Pooh! "  returned  Nan.  "Just  you  wait  till  you 
hear  what  mother  has  to  say." 

This  confidence   in   her  mother's  opinion  some- 


Imprisonment  1 75 

what  altered  Mary  Lee's  point  of  view.  "Well," 
she  said,  "  I  wouldn't  have  gone  myself,  still,  I 
think  Aunt  Sarah  has  no  right  to  punish  big  girls  like 
us  for  something  our  mother  would  not  scold  us 
for.  She  ought  to  wait  till  she  knows  for  sure  be- 
fore she  ups  and  makes  a  prisoner  of  one  of  us." 

"She'd  think  she  had  a  right  to  shut  mother  up  if 
she  did  anything  Aunt  Sarah  disapproved  of,"  said 
Nan,  mournfully.  "Tell  me,  Mary  Lee,  how  are 
you  going  to  explain  it  to  the  boys  ?  " 

"  I'll  tell  them  the  truth." 

"  But  you  can't  say  there  is  a  family  quarrel  and 
that  we  aren't  allowed  to  visit  our  own  nearest  re- 
lations." 

"  Yes  I  can.  Everybody  knows  it  or  suspects  it, 
and  we  are  not  the  only  ones  that  have  had  a  family 
quarrel.  We  can't  help  our  grandmother's  being  a 
horrid  old  skinflint." 

"Oh!"  Nan  was  about  to  defend  her  grand- 
mother vigorously  but  concluded  to  say  only: 
"  Maybe  she  didn't  mean  to  be  quite  so  horrid  as  she 
seemed.  When  people  get  mad  they  say  lots  of 
things  they  don't  mean.  I  know  I  do." 

"Oh,  yes,  I  know  you  do,"  returned  Mary  Lee, 
"  but  a  grown-up  old  woman  ought  to  do  better. 
I  hope  you  will  when  you  are  her  age."  At  which 
sisterly  reproof  Nan  had  nothing  to  say.  "At  all 


176  The  Four  Corners 

events,"  Mary  Lee  continued,  "I'll  stand  by  you, 
Nan,  and  I  know  the  boys  will,  too." 

After  Mary  Lee  left  her,  Nan  reviewed  the  situ- 
ation. If  her  Aunt  Sarah's  ire  cooled  she  would 
probably  be  liberated  the  next  day  and  her  Aunt 
Helen  would  not  arrive  from  Washington  till  Mon- 
day anyhow.  On  the  other  hand,  if  her  Aunt 
Sarah's  anger,  instead  of  cooling  should  wax 
stronger,  Nan  could  not  expect  to  be  free  till  her 
mother  should  be  heard  from,  and  that  would  be  in 
not  less  than  three  days;  in  all  probability  it  would 
be  four.  Nan  counted  on  her  fingers:  Sunday, 
Monday,  Tuesday,  Wednesday;  very  likely  Wednes- 
day, for  Aunt  Sarah  would  hardly  have  her  letter 
ready  before  the  morning's  mail.  "I  wish  she'd 
send  a  telegram,"  sighed  Nan,  "  but  she'll  just  like 
to  keep  me  here  as  long  as  she  can;  I've  made  her 
so  hopping  mad." 

Nan's  conscience  told  her  that  Aunt  Sarah  did 
have  a  right  to  be  more  than  usually  angry  at  her 
impertinence,  but  she  chose  to  see  only  her  own  side 
of  the  case  and  would  admit  herself  nothing  but  a 
martyr.  True  to  her  expectation,  no  supper  was 
forthcoming  and  before  that  hour  her  door  was 
securely  locked  on  the  other  side.  She  was  indeed 
a  prisoner. 

In  spite  of  her  hearty  luncheon,  Nan  felt  the  pangs 


Imprisonment  177 

of  hunger  about  the  supper  hour.  She  had  a  healthy 
appetite  and,  as  the  odor  of  hot  biscuits  stole  up- 
ward from  the  kitchen,  she  realized  that  hers  was 
no  pleasant  predicament.  "Old  witch  aunt!  Old 
witch  aunt !  "  she  murmured  under  her  breath.  "  I 
don't  love  you  one  bit,  so  there!  You  are  ungodly 
and  I  wish  the  ungodly  would  be  overthrown,  I  do. 
I  wish  the  peril  that  walketh  at  night  would  en- 
compass you  round  about.  I  don't  believe  David 
had  any  more  troubles  than  I  have,  when  he  wrote 
his  psalms."  She  sat  gloomily  nursing  her  misery 
and  feeling  herself  a  much  abused  person  when  she 
was  aroused  by  some  one  calling  softly  under  her 
window:  "Nannie,  Nannie." 

She  looked  out  and  there  stood  Jack.  "I've 
saved  my  cake  for  you,"  she  said.  "  How  shall  I 
get  it  up  to  you?" 

"I'll  let  down  a  string,"  said  Nan  promptly. 
This  was  a  pleasant  diversion  and  she  hunted  around 
energetically  till  she  found  in  Miss  Sarah's  work- 
basket  a  spool  of  strong  thread.  To  the  end  of  this 
she  fastened  an  empty  spool  which  she  dropped  out 
of  the  window.  Jack  fastened  her  cake  to  the 
string  having  first  wrapped  it  in  a  piece  of  paper, 
and  Nan  drew  it  up.  "You  are  a  darling,"  she 
called  down.  "  I'll  do  as  much  for  you  some  time. 
Can't  you  get  me  some  biscuits  or  something  ?  " 


178  The  Four  Corners 

"There  aren't  any  biscuits  left  to-night.  The 
boys  were  so  hungry  and  Phil  was  here;  there's  only 
batter-bread  left  and  that's  too  soft,"  returned  Jack. 
But  here  the  opening  of  a  door  sent  her  scudding 
away  and  Nan  closed  her  window. 

She  devoured  every  crumb  of  the  cake  and  longed 
for  more.  It  seemed  but  to  whet  her  appetite  and 
she  pondered  long  trying  to  devise  some  way  by 
which  she  could  undertake  a  foraging  expedition. 
"As  if  I  hadn't  a  right  to  my  own  mother's  food," 
she  said,  complainingly.  "  I'm  going  to  get  it  some 
way." 

After  a  long  time  given  to  planning  out  dif- 
ferent schemes  Nan  at  last  hit  upon  one  which 
she  determined  to  carry  out.  She  would  wait  till 
after  every  one  had  gone  to  bed.  She  wondered  if 
she  could  keep  awake  till  then.  She  made  up  her 
mind  that  she  would,  and,  after  lighting  the  lamp, 
she  took  a  magazine  from  her  aunt's  stock  of  papers 
and  began  to  read.  She  grew  very  drowsy  after 
awhile,  but  she  did  not  give  up  to  sleep.  Instead 
she  tried  all  sorts  of  steps,  making  such  a  noise  that 
the  other  children  came  to  see  what  she  was  doing. 

"  What  are  you  up  to  ?  "  called  Mary  Lee  through 
the  key-hole. 

"  I'm  only  amusing  myself,"  returned  Nan.  "  I'm 
just  dancing  to  keep  awake." 


Imprisonment  179 

"Why  don't  you  go  to  bed  ?  "  asked  Mary  Lee. 

"  Don't  want  to  yet,"  replied  Nan,  smiling. 

Her  lively  effort  had  the  effect  she  wished  and  she 
was  wide  awake  even  when  Aunt  Sarah  came  up  to 
bed.  She  waited  till  she  was  sure  all  was  still  in 
the  house,  putting  out  her  light  and  watching  till  the 
crack  of  light  coming  from  the  room  across  the  hall 
was  no  longer  shining  under  the  door.  Then  she 
lighted  her  own  candle  and  cautiously  unlocked  a 
door  leading  from  the  room  she  was  in  to  the  un- 
used wing  of  the  house.  She  left  the  door  open 
and  stepped  out  into  the  dark  empty  hall.  It  ap- 
peared strange  and  uncanny.  A  sudden  squeak  and 
a  scuttling  sound  suggested  mice,  and  the  whir  of 
wings  and  the  quick  swoop  of  a  bat's  wing  scared 
her  so  that  she  nearly  dropped  her  candle.  The  pe- 
culiarly musty  smell  which  comes  from  a  house 
which  has  long  been  shut  up  greeted  her  as  she 
stood  for  a  moment  irresolute.  Was  it  worth  while 
to  continue  the  adventure  ? 

"  I  just  will  have  something  to  eat,"  she  decided 
plucking  up  courage  to  cross  the  hallway  and  go 
down  the  stairs  which  led  to  the  lower  rooms.  Her 
heart  beat  like  a  trip-hammer  as  she  continued  her 
way,  and  she  was  thankful  when  she  reached  the 
door  leading  to  the  occupied  rooms.  It  was  never 
locked,  for  the  key  was  lost.  Jack  had  disposed  of 


i8o  The  Four  Corners 

it  in  some  mysterious  way.  This  Nan  remembered 
when  her  eye  fell  on  the  key  in  the  door  up-stairs. 

Once  safe  in  the  living-room,  it  was  easy  to  find 
her  way  into  the  kitchen  and  to  the  cupboard  where 
she  knew  she  would  find  any  remains  of  supper. 
To  her  satisfaction  she  discovered  a  small  pitcher  of 
milk,  a  few  pieces  of  bread,  a  little  dish  of  stewed 
peaches  and  a  section  of  apple  pie.  These  she  car- 
ried over  to  the  table  and  sat  down  to  make  a  hearty 
supper.  The  lateness  of  the  hour,  for  it  was  after 
eleven  o'clock,  put  an  extra  edge  upon  her  appetite 
and  she  ate  heartily,  stopping  to  wash  the  dishes 
and  pile  them  up  neatly  on  the  table. 

Lady  Gray,  who  occupied  the  kitchen  at  night, 
that  she  might  scare  away  any  mice,  arose  from  her 
box  and  came  purring  toward  her.  "I  will  take 
you  back  with  me;  you'll  be  lots  of  company,"  said 
Nan,  "and  you  can  sleep  at  the  foot  of  my  bed; 
you'll  love  to  do  that." 

She  lifted  the  cat,  who  put  her  paws  over  the 
girl's  shoulder  contentedly.  She  had  been  used  to 
this  method  of  being  carried  about  from  the  time  she 
was  a  kitten  and  was  quite  satisfied.  All  went 
well  till  the  door  of  the  living-room  was  closed  after 
them,  and  Nan  was  mounting  the  stairs  on  her  way 
back  to  her  room.  She  was  more  than  half  way  up 
when  the  sudden  appearance  of  a  mouse  darting 


SHE  GAVE  A  BOUND  FROM  NAN'S  ARMS 


Imprisonment  181 

across  the  hall  was  too  much  for  Lady  Gray's  equi- 
nimity.  She  gave  a  bound  from  Nan's  arms,  the  sud- 
denness of  the  spring  sending  the  candle  to  the 
ground,  and  causing  Nan  to  miss  her  footing  on  the 
stair.  There  was  a  scream,  a  fall,  and  then  all  was 
still  while  Nan  lay  huddled  up  in  an  unconscious 
heap  at  the  foot  of  the  stairway. 


$ — 


S9  CHAP 


CHAPTER  X 
THE  RED  CLOTH 


CHAPTER  X 
THE  RED  CLOTH 

THE  sound  of  the  fall  startled  Aunt  Sarah  from  a 
sound  sleep.  She  sat  up  in  bed  and  listened.  All 
was  quiet.  "  I  couldn't  have  been  dreaming,"  she 
murmured.  "Mary  Lee,  Mary  Lee,"  she  called, 
"  did  you  hear  anything  ?  " 

"  Huh  ?"  said  Mary  Lee  sleepily. 

"Did  you  hear  something  fall  ?  I  thought  I  heard 
a  scream  and  a  fall.  Is  Jean  in  bed  with  you  ?  " 

Mary  Lee  was  now  awake.  "  Yes,  Aunt  Sarah, 
she's  here,"  she  answered.  "  I  don't  know  whether 
I  heard  anything  or  not,  I  was  so  sound  asleep." 

Miss  Sarah  lay  down  again,  but  her  ears  were  open 
to  the  slightest  noise  and  in  a  little  while  she  heard  a 
plaintive  meow.  Again  she  sat  up.  "I  hear  a 
cat,"  she  said.  "  It's  somewhere  near-by,  and  I  shut 
Lady  Gray  in  the  kitchen  myself." 

"  Maybe  it's  on  the  porch  roof,"  said  Mary  Lee, 
drowsily. 

Miss  Sarah  arose  and  went  to  the  window  which 
overlooked  the  porch.  "  Scat !  "  she  said,  putting 
out  her  head.  She  waited  a  few  moments  but  there 
was  no  sound  from  this  quarter.  When  she  drew 


186  The  Four  Corners 

in  her  head  the  meowing  sounded  more  plainly 
than  ever. 

"It  certainly  is  in  the  house,"  said  Miss  Sarah. 
She  went  to  the  door  leading  out  into  the  hall  and 
discovered  that  the  sound  seemed  to  come  from  one 
of  the  rooms  opposite.  In  one  of  these  slept  the 
boys;  the  other  was  where  she  had  turned  the  key 
upon  Nan.  Slipping  on  a  dressing  gown  and  slip- 
pers, and  taking  a  candle,  she  went  forth  to  inves- 
tigate. She  stopped  first  at  the  door  where  the 
Gordon  boys  slept;  all  was  still.  At  Nan's  door  she 
listened.  It  was  plain  that  the  meowing  came  from 
there.  Lady  Gray  having  failed  of  catching  the 
mouse  had  found  her  way  into  the  room  which 
Nan  had  left  and  was  trying  to  make  it  known  that 
she  wished  to  be  let  out. 

Miss  Sarah  opened  the  door  and  was  met  with 
every  evidence  of  satisfaction  by  Lady  Gray.  "  How 
in  the  world  did  you  get  up  here?"  asked  Miss 
Sarah  in  surprise.  But  just  then  a  curious  damply 
smelling  air  arrested  her  attention  and  she  perceived 
the  door  standing  ajar.  "Of  all  things!"  she  ex- 
claimed and  went  on  with  her  candle.  "Nan,"  she 
called,  "Nan,  what  prank  is  this  ?  I  wonder  if  that 
willful  child  really  has  run  off  to  her  grand- 
mother's." She  cautiously  went  on  to  the  stairs, 
shading  her  candle  with  one  hand  and  peering  down 


The  Red  Cloth  187 

into  the  dark  hallway.  A  white  heap  at  the  foot  of 
the  stairs  caught  her  eye.  She  hurried  down  to  find 
Nan,  pale  and  still,  lying  there. 

"Oh,  dear,  dear,  dear,"  cried  Miss  Sarah,  "what 
has  happened?  Nan!  Nan!"  but  Nan  did  not  stir. 

Unable  to  carry  both  Nan  and  the  candle,  Miss 
Sarah  hastened  back  to  her  room.  "Mary  Lee, 
Mary  Lee!  "  she  called,  "get  up  quick  and  bring  a 
candle!  Hurry!" 

At  this  peremptory  summons,  Mary  Lee  leaped 
from  her  bed.  ' '  What  is  the  matter  ?  What  is  it  ?  " 
she  cried. 

"Nan  has  fallen  down  the  stairs.  Come  right 
along.  Here,  take  both  candles  and  I'll  carry  her." 

Trembling,  Mary  Lee  followed  apprehensively, 
and  lighted  the  way  for  her  aunt  to  bear  the  helpless 
burden  up-stairs  to  the  room  from  which  the  girl 
had  escaped.  As  Mary  Lee  caught  sight  of  the 
white  face  and  limp  form,  she  burst  into  tears. 
"  Oh,  is  she  dead  ?  Is  she  dead  ?  "  she  cried. 

"I  don't  know,"  said  Miss  Sarah,  her  lips  quiver- 
ing. "Run  get  me  some  camphor,  or  hartshorn 
or  smelling  salts,  or,  better  yet,  there  is  a  little 
brandy  in  the  medicine  closet;  bring  that." 

"  I'll  bring  them  all."  answered  Mary  Lee,  rushing 
away  and  coming  back  laden  with  bottles.  "Oh, 
Aunt  Sarah,"  she  said,  anxiously  watching  her  aunt 


188  The  Four  Corners 

force  the  brandy  between  the  shut  lips,  "suppose 
she  is  dead!  Suppose  she  is,  and  I  called  her  an 
angle-worm.  Oh,  my  dear  Nan!  My  poor  Nan! 
What  will  mother  say  ?" 

"Hush  up,"  cried  Aunt  Sarah,  tortured  beyond 
forbearance.  "I  reckon  you're  not  the  only  one 
who  is  feeling  distressed.  She's  coming  around, 
Mary  Lee,"  she  said  presently,  "but  I  can't  tell 
whether  there  are  any  bones  broken  or  not.  We'd 
better  get  the  doctor  at  once.  Her  right  arm  looks 
queer  to  me.  Call  Randolph  and  send  him  for 
Dr.  Woods." 

Aroused  by  the  confusion,  Jack  came  pattering  to 
the  door.  "What  is  the  matter?"  she  called  as 
she  heard  Mary  Lee  knocking  on  the  boys'  door. 

"Nan's  fallen  down  the  stairs,"  said  Mary  Lee, 
concisely. 

"  Is  she  dreadfully  hurt  ?    Oh,  Mary  Lee,  is  she  ?  '• 

"We  don't  know,  but  we  are  going  to  send  for 
the  doctor." 

Jack  rushed  across  to  where  Nan  was  lying.  "Go 
right  back  to  bed,"  commanded  Aunt  Sarah.  "I 
don't  want  a  case  of  croup.  I've  got  about  as  much 
as  I  can  manage  right  here." 

"  I  want  to  see  my  Nan." 

"Go  to  bed,"  ordered  Miss  Sarah,  and  Jack  sob- 
bingly  obeyed. 


The  Red  Cloth  189 

Mary  Lee  returned  with  the  report  that  Randolph 
would  go  instantly.  She  poured  out  some  of  the 
brandy  and  came  close  to  the  bed  to  see  Nan  open- 
ing her  eyes. 

"She  was  stunned,"  said  Aunt  Sarah.  "No,  she 
mustn't  have  any  liquor;  it  will  be  bad  for  her  now. 
She  is  gaining  consciousness." 

Nan  gave  a  weak  moan.  "  What's  the  matter?" 
she  said  faintly.  "My  arm  hurts  so.  Where's 
mother  ?  " 

Aunt  Sarah's  chin  quivered  and  her  eyes  filled  as 
she  answered,  "You've  had  a  fall,  child.  Keep 
quiet  till  the  doctor  comes." 

Nan  closed  her  eyes  and  lay  still  for  a  moment. 
Presently  she  said:  "  1  was  hungry  and  I  went  down 
to  get  something  to  eat."  Then  she  fainted  again 
and  Aunt  Sarah  was  busy  with  restoratives  when 
the  doctor  came.  He  was  a  bluff,  hearty,  middle- 
aged  man  who  had  known  Nan  all  her  life. 

"What's  all  this?"  he  said.  "  Tumbling  down 
stairs  in  the  dead  of  night  ?  Walking  like  a  ghost 
in  shut  up  places?  What  does  this  mean,  Miss 
Nan?" 

Nan  tried  to  smile  but  felt  herself  slipping  off  into 
an  unreal  world  while  the  doctor  looked  her  over. 
"Nothing  worse  than  a  broken  arm,"  he  decided, 
"only  a  simple  fracture,  fortunately."  The  bone 


190  The  Four  Corners 

was  slipped  into  place,  causing  a  moment  of  ex- 
quisite agony,  and  after  leaving  a  soothing  potion, 
the  doctor  said,  "  She  will  be  feverish  and  possibly 
a  little  delirious  after  her  fall.  I  will  come  again  in 
the  morning."  He  departed  leaving  Miss  Sarah  to  a 
solitary  vigil  while  Nan  moaned  and  wandered  off 
again  into  the  world  of  unreality. 

Toward  morning  she  began  to  mutter  about 
strange  things  of  which  Aunt  Sarah  had  never 
heard:  the  Poppy  Fairy  and  Giant  Pumpkin-Head, 
the  Place  o'  Pines  and  the  red  cloth.  Then  she 
tried  to  sing  a  little  song  beginning:  "  A  little  child 
goes  wandering  by."  At  this  the  tears  started  to 
Aunt  Sarah's  eyes  and  she  busied  herself  in  putting 
iced  cloths  on  the  burning  head. 

Sunday  morning  dawned  softly  bright,  a  dim 
haze  over  the  purple  mountains  and  a  faint  mist 
enveloping  the  valley.  Mary  Lee  awoke  with  the 
realization  that  something  distressful  had  happened. 
She  told  the  twins  to  keep  very  quiet  for  Nan  was 
very  sick,  and  it  was  a  sober  little  group  which 
gathered  around  the  breakfast  table. 

Randolph  and  Ashby  tiptoed  about  cautiously. 
Jean  took  refuge  with  Unc'  Landy  and  Jack  estab- 
lished herself  just  outside  the  door  of  the  room 
where  Nan  lay.  Mary  Lee  rushed  down  to  Cousin 
Mag's  with  the  woeful  tale  and  Cousin  Mag  hurried 


The  Red  Cloth  191 

back  with  her  offers  of  help.  She  insisted  upon 
taking  Aunt  Sarah's  place  and  allowing  her  to  rest, 
but  this  Aunt  Sarah  would  not  permit. 

"I  reckon  I  am  more  responsible  for  this  than 
any  one  else  is,  Margaret,"  she  said.  "1  was  in  a 
perfect  pepper-jig  of  a  temper  because  Nan  went 
over  to  Uplands,  and  when  she  answered  me  back 
pretty  saucily  I  was  madder  at  that  than  anything, 
so  I  made  her  go  without  her  supper  and  locked  her 
up  into  the  bargain.  We're  both  of  us  pretty  well 
punished  and  I  reckon  it's  going  to  be  my  only 
consolation  to  nurse  her." 

Cousin  Mag  then  declared  that  the  twins  should 
stay  at  her  house  a  few  days  and  she  would  see  to 
it  that  the  housekeeping  went  on  smoothly  at  the 
Corners'.  "  You'll  have  to  take  some  rest,"  she 
declared,  "and  I  will  come  over  every  day  to  see 
that  you  get  it." 

So  began  the  long  siege  for  Aunt  Sarah  and  Nan, 
each  of  whom  was  receiving  a  punishment  not  an- 
ticipated. Because  she  felt  herself  partly  to  blame, 
Aunt  Sarah  was  tenderness  itself,  and  for  the  same 
reason  Nan  was  a  docile  patient. 

Jean  was  perfectly  willing  to  spend  a  week  at 
Cousin  Mag's  and  rather  liked  the  idea,  but  Jack  at 
first  rebelled,  and  only  after  receiving  the  promise 
that  she  should  see  Nan  every  day  was  she  willing 


192  The  Four  Corners 

to  go.  So  every  afternoon  a  wistful  little  face  ap- 
peared at  Nan's  door. 

It  was  on  the  third  day  that  Nan  first  noticed  her. 
After  her  fever  and  delirium,  she  lay  weak  and  ex- 
hausted, but  she  gave  a  faint  smile  of  welcome  to 
her  little  sister.  Aunt  Sarah  had  stepped  from  the 
room  for  a  minute  and  Jack  ventured  inside. 
"  Can't  I  do  something  for  you  ?  May  I  kiss  you 
just  once,  Nannie  ?  "  she  said  softly. 

"  Yes  indeed,"  said  Nan,  and  Jack  dropped  a 
gentle  kiss  upon  her  cheek. 

"  Have  you  seen  the  red  cloth  ?"  asked  Nan  with 
as  much  anxiety  in  her  voice  as  her  weakness  would 
allow. 

"Oh,  I  haven't  looked,"  said  Jack,  "but  I  will." 
Aunt  Sarah's  footsteps  were  heard  in  the  hall  and 
Jack  slipped  out.  "  I  kissed  her,"  she  said  facing 
Aunt  Sarah  at  the  door,  "but  I  didn't  make 
her  worse."  Aunt  Sarah  smiled  but  made  no  reply. 

Jack  went  out  into  the  hall.  She  had  found 
something  to  do  for  Nan.  She  tiptoed  down- 
stairs and  went  out  upon  the  porch  softly  closing 
the  door  behind  her  and  looking  toward  Uplands. 
Yes,  there  hung  the  red  cloth  from  the  second  story 
window.  For  a  moment  the  child  stood  irresolute, 
then  she  started  off,  but  with  more  than  one  back- 
ward look.  She  was  doing  the  same  thing  as  that 


The  Red  Cloth  193 

for  which  Nan  had  been  punished,  but  she  didn't 
care.  It  was  for  Nan.  Nan  wanted  her  Aunt  Helen 
to  know  that  she  could  not  come  to  her.  She  re- 
membered that  this  had  distressed  her  sister  in  their 
talk  that  evening  before  the  imprisonment. 

The  little  girl  trudged  on  downhill,  across  the 
brook  and  uphill,  on  the  other  side.  In  a  few  min- 
utes she  had  reached  the  house  and  was  trying  to 
make  up  her  mind  at  which  door  she  should  knock. 
She  decided  upon  that  which  opened  upon  the  front 
porch  and  here  she  raised  the  brass  knocker  and  let 
it  fall  twice.  The  door  was  opened  by  Miss  Helen 
herself.  Jack  knew  her  at  once  from  Nan's  descrip- 
tion, and  it  may  be  that  Miss  Helen  guessed  Jack's 
identity  for  she  said:  "  Come  in,  dear." 

"I  can't  come  in,"  said  Jack.  "Nan's  tumbled 
down-stairs  and  has  broken  her  arm.  She  can't 
come  to  see  you  and  she's  dreadful  sorry." 

"Oh,  dear,  oh,  dear,  how  grieved  I  am  to  hear 
that!  "  said  Miss  Helen.  "  How  did  it  happen  ?  " 

"  Aunt  Sarah  shut  her  up  and  wouldn't  give  her 
any  supper,  so  she  got  up  in  the  night  and  Lady 
Gray  saw  a  mouse  and  jumped  so  the  candle  went 
out  and  Nan  fell  nearly  all  the  way  from  the  top. 
It's  a  wonder  she  wasn't  killed,  Cousin  Mag  says." 

Just  what  Lady  Gray  had  to  do  with  the  accident 
Miss  Helen  could  not  clearly  understand.  "Oh,  1 


194  The  Four  Corners 

am  so  sorry,"  she  repeated.  She  hesitated  before 
asking,  "  Why  did  Aunt  Sarah  shut  her  up  ?  " 

Jack  did  not  reply  at  once.  "I  don't  believe  I 
ought  to  tell  that,"  she  said.  Then  after  some  con- 
sideration of  the  subject:  "Maybe  I  can  tell  half ; 
she  shut  her  up  for  one  thing  and  she  made  her  go 
without  her  supper  because  Nan  sassed  her  back." 

Miss  Helen  smiled  but  immediately  she  said 
gravely,  "Nan  should  not  have  done  that." 

"  Maybe  you  would,  too,  if  you  were  doing  some- 
thing your  mother  let  you  do  and  your  mother's 
aunt  said  you  shouldn't,"  returned  Jack,  feeling  that 
in  this  rather  mixed-up  speech  she  had  adequately 
excused  Nan,  and  Miss  Helen  read  the  meaning  suf- 
ficiently well  to  take  in  the  fact  that  Miss  Sarah  had 
disapproved  of  Nan's  coming  to  Uplands. 

"Aunt  Sarah  has  written  to  mother,"  said  Jack, 
"and  Mary  Lee  has  written,  too,  so  I  reckon  Aunt 
Sarah  will  feel  awfully  sorry  when  mother's  letter 
comes  and  says  Nan  wasn't  disobeying."  Jack 
gave  further  enlightenment.  "  I  see  Nan  every 
day,"  she  added. 

"I  am  sure  that  makes  Nan  happier,"  returned 
Miss  Helen.  "  Which  of  the  twins  are  you  ?  Jack, 
1  suppose." 

"Yes,  I  am  Jack.  Jean  is  over  to  Cousin  Mag's. 
We  sleep  there  now  while  Nan  is  sick.  Nan  won't 


The  Red  Cloth  195 

be  able  to  write  for  ever  so  long,  for  her  right  arm 
is  all  wrapped  up  in  something  and  she  can't  move 
it.  It  is  funny  that  it  is  her  right  arm  and  her  writ- 
ing arm,  too,  isn't  it  ?  I  must  go  now." 

"I  wish  you  could  stay,"  said  Miss  Helen  wist- 
fully. "  I  will  write  to  Nan,  and  you  must  give  her 
my  love.  Can't  you  stay  and  see  your  grandmother  ? 
She  is  asleep  now,  for  she  is  very  tired,  but  she  will 
waken  soon." 

"  I'm  afraid  I  can't  stay,"  said  Jack  who  had  no 
great  desire  to  see  a  grandmother  of  whom  she  had 
heard  from  Mary  Lee  and  Unc'  Landy  only  ill  reports. 
"I  saw  the  red  cloth.  Nan  told  me  about  it," 
Jack  went  on.  "I  came  over  to  tell  you  about  her. 
She  doesn't  know  I  came  but  she'll  be  glad." 

"You  love  Nan  very  much,  don't  you?"  said 
Miss  Helen  tenderly. 

"  Yes.  I  love  Jean  'cause  she's  my  twin,  but  Nan 
always  takes  up  for  me  and  helps  me  out  of  scrapes. 
I  get  into  a  great  many,"  sighed  Jack.  "  Maybe  I'm 
in  one  now,"  she  added  thoughtfully. 

"  Oh,  dear,  I  hope  not,"  Miss  Helen  hastened  to 
say.  "  I  must  not  keep  you  if  you  ought  not  to 
stay.  You  must  not  be  disobedient  if  any  one  has 
forbidden  your  coming  here." 

"Nobody  did  'zackly,  but— I  reckon  I'd  better  not 
stay." 


196  The  Four  Corners 

Miss  Helen  stooped  to  kiss  her.  "  I  hope  to  see 
you  soon  again,"  she  said,  "and  T  am  very  much 
obliged  to  you  for  telling  me  about  Nan." 

Jack  trudged  back  satisfied  at  having  done  her 
errand.  If  Aunt  Sarah  discovered  it  she  said  noth- 
ing and  a  day  later  came  a  letter  from  Mrs.  Cornet 
in  reply  to  Miss  Sarah's.  In  it  she  said:  "I  feel 
now,  dear  Aunt  Sarah,  that  I  did  wrong  in  harbor- 
ing any  ill-will  toward  Helen.  I  am  sure  my  dear 
husband  would  wish  me  to  meet  any  advances  from 
her  with  an  equally  forgiving  spirit  and  I  do  want 
my  children  to  see  and  love  their  Aunt  Helen,  the 
only  sister  of  their  father.  So  Nan  has  my  per- 
mission to  go  to  Uplands  when  she  receives  an  invi- 
tation. When  one  feels  that  the  waves  from  the 
dark  river  may  perhaps  soon  be  touching  her  feet, 
quarrels  and  dissensions  seem  very  petty  things.  I 
realized  this  when  I  first  knew  of  the  danger 
threatening  me.  Now  that  I  feel  that  I  am  permitted 
a  longer  lease  of  life  the  bitterness  of  the  past  is 
something  to  be  forgotten.  I  view  life  with  a  new 
understanding  and  I  would  encourage  peace,  for- 
giveness and  forbearance." 

Aunt  Sarah  read  the  letter  thoughtfully,  Nan 
watching  her  with  big  eyes  looking  from  a  very 
white  little  face.  Aunt  Sarah  put  her  head  back 


The  Red  Cloth  197 

against  the  back  of  the  big  chair  in  which  she  was 
sitting  and  rocked  silently  for  some  moments. 

"  What  does  mother  say  ?"  asked  Nan  feebly. 

"She  says  you  may  go  to  Uplands.  Would  you 
like  to  start  now,  Nan  ? "  Aunt  Sarah  spoke  half 
sadly,  half  jestingly.  "Well,  Nan/' she  went  on, 
"  I  reckon  we  are  both  punished  pretty  thoroughly, 
you  for  your  sauciness  and  I  for  my  hardness. 
Neither  of  us  has  any  scores  to  pay  that  1  see. 
Goodness,  child,  when  I  picked  you  up  from  the 
foot  of  those  stairs  I  would  have  given  my  right 
hand  to  have  taken  back  my  conduct  toward  you." 

"I  was  dreadfully  saucy,  Aunt  Sarah,"  said  Nan. 
"  It  was  wicked  for  me  to  speak  so  to  you,  and  I 
had  no  business,  either,  to  sneak  down  into  the 
kitchen  in  the  middle  of  the  night.  I  have  given 
my  right  hand,  for  a  little  while,"  she  added,  "only 
it  don't  do  away  with  what  I  said  and  did." 

Aunt  Sarah  bent  over  and  kissed  the  child's  fore- 
head. Two  salt  tears  trickled  down  from  her  eyes 
and  fell  on  Nan's  cheek.  Those  drops  washed  out 
all  ill  feeling  between  them,  for  Nan  understood  that 
Aunt  Sarah  did  really  love  her  and  that  she,  too,  had 
suffered,  if  not  bodily  pain,  at  least  bodily  fatigue 
and  much  mental  anguish  on  Nan's  account. 

There  was  another  letter  which  came  later  to  Nan. 


198  The  Four  Corners 

It  was  not  exactly  a  lecture,  and  the  reproof  was 
slight,  but  after  reading  it  Nan  felt  that  in  being  im- 
pertinent to  her  aunt  she  had  abused  her  mother's 
trust  and  had  hurt  her  as  well  as  Aunt  Sarah,  so  she 
resolved  that  never,  never  again,  no  matter  what, 
would  she  treat  Aunt  Sarah  with  disrespect. 

Many  were  the  attentions  showered  upon  the 
little  girl  during  her  illness,  but  chief  among  them, 
and  most  pleasing  to  her,  were  those  which  came 
from  Uplands.  Not  a  day  passed  that  she  did  not 
receive  some  token  of  her  Aunt  Helen's  thought  of 
her.  Lovely  flowers  were  never  suffered  to  fade 
before  they  were  replaced  by  others.  Dainties  to 
tempt  her  palate  followed  the  flowers,  and  when 
she  could  sit  up  came  packages  of  picture  postal 
cards  of  different  places  in  Europe  or  interesting 
photographs.  To  these  were  added  once  in  a  while 
a  cheerful  story-book  or  a  magazine,  so,  in  spite  of 
pain  and  lack  of  freedom,  Nan  fared  well  and  in  due 
time  was  out  again,  her  arm  in  a  sling  and  herself  a 
little  pale,  but  otherwise  no  worse  for  her  accident. 


^> 

.  -.>.*-.  Sfc  > . .-  ..  *x$ 


CHAPTER  XI 
GRANDMOTHER 


CHAPTER  XI 
GRANDMOTHER 

THE  November  winds  had  swept  the  leaves  from 
the  maples  and  had  sent  them  in  hurrying  gusts 
upon  the  waters  of  the  little  brook  before  Nan  again 
visited  Uplands.  The  oak  trees  still  showed  patches 
of  dark  red  foliage  and  in  Place  o'  Pines  were  heaps 
of  shining  brown  brought  there  by  that  same 
November  wind.  Since  Jack  had  braved  her  Aunt 
Sarah's  displeasure  with  no  ill  results,  Nan  had  felt 
there  was  hope  that  she  would  be  permitted  to  make 
a  visit  to  Uplands  as  soon  as  she  should  be  well 
enough.  Jack  had  not  repeated  her  visit;  she  was 
not  as  ready  to  meet  her  grandmother  as  Nan  was, 
nor  were  Mary  Lee  and  Jean  any  more  eager,  so  that 
the  first  interview  was  left  to  Nan. 

It  was  one  day  in  November  that  she  said  rather 
timidly  to  her  Aunt  Sarah:  "Don't  you  think  I 
might  go  over  to  Uplands  ?  You  know  mother  said 
I  might." 

"Assuredly,"  replied  Miss  Sarah.  "Go  by  all 
means." 

Nan  looked  at  her  critically  to  see  if  she  meant 
this  sarcastically,  but  there  was  no  suspicion  of  any 


202  The  Four  Corners 

such  intention,  and  she  realized  that  the  consent  was 
readily  given. 

It  was  an  important  event  to  the  girl.  She  had 
fallen  in  love  with  the  lady  of  the  portrait  in  the  first 
place;  her  Aunt  Helen  had  completely  won  her  in 
the  second,  and  she  had  learned  to  give  at  least  pity 
and  sympathy  where  her  sisters  felt,  at  the  most, 
indifference,  so  she  set  out  upon  her  walk  with  an 
eager  anticipation. 

She  panted  a  little  as  she  reached  the  top  of  the 
hill  on  the  other  side  of  the  brook,  for  she  had  not 
gone  so  far  since  her  accident,  and,  moreover,  her 
heart  was  beating  fast.  She  was  to  meet  her  grand- 
mother. Would  she  be  haughty  and  distant  or  kind 
and  cordial  ?  Would  she  come  sweeping  in  all 
jewels  and  lace,  or  would  she  wear  the  plainer  dress 
which  her  daughter  adopted  ?  Nan  hoped  that  she 
would  wear  nothing  more  sombre  than  black  satin 
with  fine  laces  and  that  she  would  have  more  than 
one  glittering  ring  upon  her  fingers. 

There  were  no  weeds  now  to  wade  through  for 
the  lawn  was  smoothly  mown,  though  grass  would 
have  to  be  sown  when  the  stubble  was  ploughed 
under.  There  were  pretty  curtains  in  all  the  rooms 
and  flower-pots  holding  blossoming  plants  stood  in 
a  row  in  some  of  the  windows.  A  bird-cage,  too, 
hung  in  the  library  and  as  Nan  stepped  upon  the 


Grandmother  203 

porch  she  heard  the  joyous  song  of  the  canary.  The 
place  seemed  so  lived  in;  no  longer  a  mysterious 
enchanted  castle  but  the  comfortable  abode  of  human 
kind.  A  neat  maid  opened  the  door  and  ushered 
Nan  into  the  library.  An  open  fire  was  blazing  in 
the  grate,  the  canary  was  singing  blithely  above  the 
blossoming  geraniums  and  begonias.  There  were 
magazines  and  papers  piled  on  the  table  and  an  open 
desk  showed  that  some  one  lately  had  been  writing 
there. 

Presently  there  was  a  rustle  of  skirts  on  the  stairs 
and  Miss  Helen  came  swiftly  in.  "My  dear,  my 
dear!  "  she  exclaimed.  "  How  glad  I  am  to  see  you. 
What  a  siege  you  have  had.  It  has  seemed  such  a 
long  time  and  mother  has  been  hoping  every  day 
that  you  would  be  well  enough  to  come.  Do  you 
still  suffer,  poor  little  lass  ?  " 

"Not  now,"  was  the  answer,  "but  I  gave  my 
right  hand,  you  see,  and  didn't  get  anything  for  it 
after  all.'' 

"  You  haven't  given  it  altogether,  I  hope." 

"  No,  but  I  can't  even  write,  and  if  1  had  a  piano 
I  couldn't  play  on  it." 

"But  you  will  soon  be  well,"  returned  her  aunt. 
"Come,  let  us  go  up  to  mother;  she  is  very  im- 
patient to  see  you." 

Nan  followed  to  the  softly  carpeted,  upper  front 


204  The  Four  Corners 

room.  No  grand  dame,  magnificently  attired  came 
forward  to  meet  her,  but  by  the  window  sat  a 
little  old  lady  in  sombre  mourning;  her  face  was 
lined  with  sorrow  and  her  hands  were  worn  and 
thin;  only  a  plain  gold  ring  adorned  the  left 
one. 

"  And  this  is  Nancy,"  she  said.  "  Excuse  my  ris- 
ing, my  dear,  I  am  not  very  strong.  Come  here, 
won't  you  ?  " 

Nan  approached  with  a  feeling  of  disappointment. 
How  could  any  one  fear  sharp  speeches  from  this 
mild-mannered  old  lady  ?  Where  was  the  flashing 
splendor  of  her  eyes  ?  Where  was  her  proud 
mien  ?  What  had  become  of  all  those  qualities 
which  the  portrait  represented  ? 

"Come  closer,  Nancy,  child;  I  want  to  have  a 
look  at  you,"  said  her  grandmother.  And  Nan 
knelt  down  before  her.  Mrs.  Corner  took  the  girl's 
face  between  her  hands  and  looked  at  her  long  and 
earnestly.  "She  has  Jack's  eyes,"  she  said  to  her 
daughter. 

Nan  smiled;  it  pleased  her  to  be  told  this. 

"And  his  smile,"  continued  her  grandmother. 
She  took  Nan's  free  hand  and  smoothed  it  softly. 
"She  has  the  Corner  fingers,  too,"  she  went  on, 
"long  and  tapering  with  the  filbert  nails.  She  has 
sentiment,  Helen,  I  am  sure,  and  she  is  quick  but 


Grandmother  205 

sensitive;  loving  but  impatient;  honest  and  forgiv- 
ing." 

Nan  felt  rather  embarrassed  at  this  summarizing  of 
her  character,  but  as  her  grandmother  leaned  over 
and  kissed  her  forehead  a  glad  light  leaped  to  the 
girl's  eyes.  This  was  not  censure,  but  a  tender  in- 
terest. 

"  Your  old  grandmother  is  very  glad  to  see  you," 
Mrs.  Corner  went  on.  "I  have  longed  for  you,  for 
one  of  my  son's  own  children,  and  it  is  a  great 
gratification  to  me  to  know  you  have  no  hard  feel- 
ings." 

"No,  I  haven't  any  hard  feelings;  neither  has 
mother,"  returned  Nan  gravely. 

A  little  expression  of  pain  passed  over  Mrs. 
Corner's  faceTand  she  sighed.  "  Never  let  yourself 
be  a  wicked  old  woman,  Nancy,  to  want  your  own 
way.  Be  willing  to  share  what  you  possess  with 
others.  Never  be  jealous  and  suspicious  and  en- 
vious. Try  not  to  pity  yourself  too  much  and  don't 
think  your  rights  are  superior  to  those  of  other  per- 
sons. You  will  be  very  unhappy  if  you  do  not 
learn  your  lesson  early.  The  book  of  life  holds 
many  hard  pages  and  it  will  be  handed  back  to  you 
over  and  over  again  till  you  have  learned  by  heart 
what  is  meant  you  should  know." 

"Now,  mother,"  put  in  Miss  Helen,  "you  are  en- 


206  The  Four  Corners 

tirely  too  grave  and  preachy.  Don't  spoil  Nan's 
first  visit  by  giving  her  the  impression  that  she  is  in 
a  lecture-room." 

"  You  are  right,  Helen;  I  should  not  allow  myself 
to  be  carried  away  to  the  past  from  the  present. 
Forgive  me,  Nancy,  for  being  prosy  and  serious;  your 
coming  awakened  so  many  memories  of  things  I 
have  tried  to  forget.  Tell  me  about  your  mother 
while  Helen  gets  out  some  things  I  brought  you 
from  Italy." 

Nan's  eyes  sparkled.  "Brought  me?  How 
good  of  you,"  she  exclaimed.  She  wondered  what 
the  gifts  could  be  and  was  quite  overpowered  when 
Miss  Helen  came  in  with  her  arms  piled  high  with 
all  sorts  of  packages.  There  were  soft  silks  from 
Sorrento,  corals  from  Naples,  strings  of  beads  from 
Venice,  odd  bits  of  jewelry  from  Florence,  scarfs 
and  sashes  from  Rome,  a  quaint  little  hat  from 
Milan,  embroideries,  laces,  knickknacks  of  all 
kinds. 

Nan  looked  at  them  in  delighted  amazement. 
She  had  never  seen  so  many  pretty  things  together 
before.  "They're  not  all  for  me,"  she  said. 

"All  for  you,  my  dear,"  said  her  grandmother 
with  a  pleased  smile. 

"But,"  Nan  spoke  earnestly,  "it  would  be  dread- 
fully selfish  for  me  to  be  piggy  and  not  give  the 


Grandmother  207 

others  anything,  my  sisters,  you  know.  They'd 
think  1  was  the  proud  sister  sure  enough."  Nan 
looked  toward  her  aunt  and  back  at  her  grand- 
mother. Then  she  saw  the  mild  expression  disap- 
pear and  the  look  of  the  portrait  came  over  Mrs. 
Corner's  face. 

"  I  wish  you  to  have  them  all,"  she  said  haughtily. 
"  Not  one  of  the  others  has  thought  it  worth  while 
to  come  to  see  me;  but  you,  Nancy,"  her  face 
softened,  "you  sent  me  a  kiss  before  you  saw  me." 

"Oh,  but,"  Nan's  eyes  grew  starry,  "you  know 
I  am  the  eldest  and  1  met  Aunt  Helen  and  they 
didn't;  besides,  they  don't  understand;  the  twins 
are  too  young  and  Mary  Lee,  well — she  hadn't  seen 
Aunt  Helen,  you  know.  I  thank  you  a  thousand 
times,  grandmother,  for  being  so  lovely  as  to  bring 
me  these  things,  but  indeed,  I'll  have  to  be  honest 
and  say  I  can't  keep  them  all  for  my  own  self." 

"Put  them  away,  Helen,"  said  Mrs.  Corner 
wearily.  "  It  is  only  one  more  disappointment.  I 
hoped  my  granddaughter  would  be  pleased." 

The  tears  came  to  Nan's  eyes.  "I  am  pleased. 
I  can't  tell  you  how  much.  I  never  saw  such  lovely 
things,  and  I'm  just  crazy  for  them,  but  1  should 
feel  such  a  mean,  meany,  piggish  thing  to  keep 
them  all." 

"Never  mind,"  said  Mrs.  Corner  with  an  air  of 


2o8  The  Four  Corners 

resignation,  "perhaps  you  will  change  your  mind, 
Nancy,  after  you  have  thought  it  over." 

Nan  knew  perfectly  well  that  she  never  would, 
but  she  said  nothing,  and  had  the  discomfort  of  see- 
ing Miss  Helen  carry  away  the  things  as  Mrs. 
Corner  insisted  that  she  should  do.  "She  might 
have  left  out  one  little  string  of  beads,"  thought 
Nan.  But  not  so  much  as  a  tiny  pin  was  allowed 
her  and  she  began  to  realize  something  of  the  spirit 
which  had  antagonized  her  mother  and  which  had 
given  her  father  such  distress.  However,  she  was 
too  proud  to  show  her  disappointment  and  did  not 
leave  at  once;  instead  she  chatted  pleasantly  and 
even  kissed  her  grandmother  good-bye. 

Miss  Helen  followed  her  to  the  door.  "You 
must  not  mind  mother's  ways  too  much,  Nancy," 
she  said.  "She  will  think  better  of  it  yet,  and  you 
must  consider  that  all  she  has  brought  you  will  be 
really  yours  to  do  with  as  you  like  after  a  while. 
Be  patient  with  her,  darling,  if  you  love  your  Aunt 
Helen.  Thank  you  so  much  for  coming  over  and 
for  being  so  dear  and  sweet  to  mother.  She  appre- 
ciates even  when  she  does  not  confess  it.  You  will 
come  again  soon,  won't  you  ?" 

"Oh,  yes,"  returned  Nan,  not  quite  so  heartily  as 
she  would  like  to  have  spoken.  She  was  disap- 
pointed, really  bitterly  disappointed,  she  confessed 


Grandmother  209 

to  herself.  Her  grandmother  was  no  queen,  but 
only  a  faulty  woman.  A  sad  and  sorrowful  one,  it 
was  true,  and  one  willing  to  make  an  effort  in 
many  directions  to  compensate  for  her  hardness  and 
bitterness  of  former  years,  yet  she  still  clung  to  her 
imperious  ways  and  was  not  ready  to  give  up 
her  own  way  nor  to  allow  any  one  to  thwart  her 
will. 

Nan  drew  a  long  sigh  as  she  went  down-hill.  It 
was  not  going  to  be  as  easy  as  she  had  hoped  to 
love  her  grandmother.  What  a  delight  it  would 
have  been  to  display  all  those  lovely  things  to  the 
family,  to  give  Mary  Lee  that  string  of  beautiful 
blue  beads  and  the  striped  Roman  sash;  to  let  Jean 
and  Jack  choose  what  they  liked  best,  and  to  give 
even  Aunt  Sarah  something  from  the  splendid  mass 
of  things,  while  to  her  mother  Nan  would  have  sent 
the  very  best  of  whatever  seemed  suitable.  It  cer- 
tainly was  tantalizing  to  have  things  happen  this 
way.  However,  there  was  still  the  possibility  of 
future  possession  her  Aunt  Helen  had  promised  her, 
and  she  would  take  comfort  in  that. 

Jack  was  the  only  one  who  had  curiosity  enough 
to  ask  questions  when  Nan  returned.  No  doubt 
but  Miss  Sarah  would  like  to  have  had  a  full  account 
of  Nan's  visit,  but  she  scorned  to  show  any  interest 
and  Mary  Lee  took  her  cue  from  her.  "Well, 


2io  The  Four  Corners 

you're  back  again,"  was  the  only  remark  she  made 
as  Nan  passed  through  the  room. 

"Yes,  here  I  am,"  returned  Nan.  She  felt  that 
she  would  rather  not  discuss  her  visit  with  either 
Mary  Lee  or  Aunt  Sarah.  Jack  waylaid  her  as  she 
was  on  her  way  up-stairs.  "Did  you  see  our 
grandmother,  Nan?"  she  asked,  "and  is  she  a  hor- 
rid old  witch?" 

" No,  she  isn't  that,"  replied  Nan,  "though  she  is 
different  from  what  I  expected.  She  was  very  kind 
at  first,  but  she  showed  the  iron  hand  in  the  velvet 
glove  before  I  came  away." 

Jack  looked  as  if  she  understood.  She  was  al- 
ways quick  to  take  Nan's  allusions. 

"If  you  won't  say  anything  to  anybody,  I'll  tell 
you  all  about  it,"  said  Nan. 

Jack  nodded.  She  could  be  relied  upon  to  keep 
a  secret  if  she  gave  a  promise,  but  was  a  very 
expansive  person  when  there  was  no  reason  for 
silence.  As  Nan  expatiated  upon  the  glories  of 
the  gifts  that  were  withheld  Jack  grew  deeply  in- 
terested. 

"And  you  were  going  to  give  me  some,  weren't 
you  ?"  she  said. 

"  Of  course,"  replied  Nan. 

"  I  think  you  were  very  proud  and  very  good  not 
to  take  them,"  remarked  Jack,  meditatively,  all  the 


Grandmother  211 

while  forming  her  own  plans.  "  Was  she  so  very 
cross,  Nan  ?  "  she  asked  presently. 

"  Not  exactly  cross,  only  bound  to  have  her  own 
way,  like  some  other  people  1  know." 

Jack  laughed.  "1  don't  suppose  you  listened  to 
her  if  she  did  say  things  you  didn't  like.  That's  the 
way  I  do.  I  always  think  of  something  nice,  like 
eating  ice  cream  or  having  a  new  doll,  when  any 
one  scolds  me;  it  makes  it  lots  easier,"  she  said 
philosophically.  She  saw  no  reason  now  why  she 
should  not  go  to  her  grandmother's.  She  reasoned 
that  it  was  because  no  one  but  Nan  had  been  to  see 
her  that  she  refused  gifts  to  the  rest,  and  if  there 
was  any  way,  not  too  difficult,  in  which  she  could 
get  a  string  of  those  beautiful  beads  which  Nan  had 
described,  Jack  meant  to  do  it. 

She  spent  much  time  that  afternoon  laboriously 
writing  in  her  very  best  hand,  her  name  upon  a 
card.  The  next  day,  dressed  in  her  best,  she  started 
to  make  a  formal  call  at  Uplands.  She  meant  to  be 
very  polite  and  ingratiating,  and,  if  all  went  well, 
she  would  induce  Jean  to  go.  She  felt  that  at  this 
first  interview  it  would  be  best  that  no  one  but  her- 
self and  her  grandmother  should  be  present,  for 
Jean  did  not  know  things  and  might  say  something 
she  should  not.  Although  the  beads  were  the 
largest  object  of  her  motive  in  going,  there  was  be- 


212  The  Four  Corners 

sides  a  desire  to  gain  for  Nan  those  things  which 
Jack  felt  she  ought  to  have. 

At  the  door,  she  handed  the  maid  the  card  upon 
which  was  unevenly  written:  "Miss  Jacqueline 
Corner."  "I  have  come  to  call  on  Mrs.  Corner," 
she  said  gravely,  and  walked  into  the  drawing-room 
where  she  seated  herself  expectantly. 

Curiosity,  amusement  and  a  real  desire  to  see  the 
child  brought  Mrs.  Corner  down.  Miss  Helen  was 
not  at  home.  Jacqueline  arose  to  meet  her  grand- 
mother with  her  best  company  manners.  "I  am 
very  much  pleased  to  meet  you,  Mrs.  Corner,"  she 
said.  "  I  hope  you  are  very  well." 

"Not  so  very  well,  though  better  than  yesterday," 
replied  the  lady,  seating  herself. 

"You  ought  to  take  Junipy  Tar,"  said  Jack,  so- 
licitously; "  that  is  what  Unc'  Landy  takes  when  he 
isn't  well."  She  supposed  this  a  remedy  specially 
fitted  to  the  needs  of  the  aged. 

Mrs.  Corner  thanked  her,  smilingly,  her  amuse- 
ment increasing. 

"  Did  you  have  a  pleasant  journey  ?  "  asked  Jack, 
racking  her  brain  for  a  proper  subject. 

"You  mean  across  the  ocean?  Only  fairly  so. 
I  am  not  a  very  good  sailor." 

Jack  looked  at  her  in  surprise.  "  Oh,"  she  said, 
"  I  didn't  know  ladies  ever  were  sailors,  and  I  am 


Grandmothe  r  213 

sure  they  would  never  make  good  ones;  their  skirts 
must  get  so  in  the  way  when  they  climb  the  ropes. 
I  suppose  you  never  went  up  as  far  as  the  main- 
top-gallant mast." 

"  No,  never,"  returned  Mrs.  Corner,  laughing  out- 
right. Jack  could  not  understand  her  amusement 
and  changed  the  subject. 

"  Do  you  like  dogs  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Very  much." 

"We  have  one;  his  name  is  Trouble.  We  like 
him  but  Ran  says  he  wouldn't  take  a  prize  at  a 
bench  show.  I  don't  see  why  dogs  should  take 
prizes  at  bench  shows;  I  should  think  it  would  be 
only  benches,  the  biggest  bench  or  the  prettiest 
bench  or  the  one  made  by  the  youngest  child  like 
they  give  prizes  at  the  fair.  Don't  you  love  fairs  ? 
I  do.  I  like  the  pink  lemonade  best  of  all  and  the 
prize  packages  of  candy.  Once  I  got  a  real  sure 
enough  diamond  ring,  but  it  was  too  big  for  me 
and  I  lost  it.  Jean  likes  the  pop-corn  and  the  ginger- 
bread the  best.  What  do  you  like  ?  " 

"  I  think,"  said  Mrs.  Corner,  "  that  I  like  seeing 
the  people  as  well  as  anything." 

"  I  do  sometimes,  but  I  don't  always.  Once  we 
all  went  to  the  circus  and  Jean  dropped  her  hat  be- 
tween the  benches.  I  crawled  under  to  get  it,  and 
every  time  I  tried  to  get  out  some  one  stepped  on 


214  The  Four  Corners 

my  head;  I  thought  I'd  have  to  stay  there  forever. 
It  was  awful." 

"  It  must  have  been." 

"Is  it  ten  minutes  yet ?  I  don't  suppose  I  ought 
to  stay  more  than  ten  minutes  at  a  first  call,  ought 
I  ?  Cousin  Polly  says  that  is  long  enough." 

'"I  think  persons  often  do  stay  longer."  Mrs. 
Corner  was  too  greatly  entertained  to  want  to  get 
rid  of  her  guest.  "  I  am  sure  I  shall  be  delighted  if 
you  will  stay,"  she  went  on  as  she  rose  to  ring  the 
bell.  "  Bring  some  cake  and  some  of  that  currant 
shrub  that  Mrs.  Southall  sent  me,"  she  told  the  maid, 
and  Jack  was  glad  she  had  mentioned  the  pink  lem- 
onade. "I  want  to  offer  you  some  refreshment, 
Miss  Jacqueline,"  said  her  grandmother. 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Jack,  promptly  sitting  down 
again.  "Nobody  ever  calls  me  Jacqueline;  it's 
always  Jack.  When  Nan  and  I  are  grown  we  are 
going  to  call  ourselves  Nannette  and  Jacqueline,  not 
Nan  and  Jack,  but  mother  says  she  wants  me  al- 
ways to  be  called  Jack  after  my  father.  He  was 
your  son,  wasn't  he  ?" 

The  amused  look  faded  from  Mrs.  Corner's  eyes. 
"He  was  my  only  son  and  no  one  can  take  his 
place.  No  one  knows  how  terribly  I  miss  him." 

"  Well,"  said  Jack,  forgetting  to  be  propitiatory, 
and  somehow  resenting  this  speech,  "  I'm  sure  we 


Grandmother  219 

couldn't  ever  get  a  new  father  any  more  than  you 
could  get  a  new  son,  and  I  reckon  my  mother 
misses  him  as  much  as  you  do." 

Mrs.  Corner  looked  startled.  "I  suppose  so;  I 
suppose  so,"  she  murmured.  "  It  is  true  that  others 
have  claims." 

Jack  did  not  quite  take  this  in  but  she  followed 
up  her  speech  by  adding:  "  I  suppose  you  missed 
your  husband  when  he  died,  didn't  you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  child,  child,  what  are  you  saying  ?  "  said 
her  grandmother  in  a  tremulous  voice. 

Jack  regretted  this  remark  seeing  her  grandmoth- 
er's agitation.  "I  don't  suppose  I  ought  to  have 
said  that.  Was  it  impolite?"  she  asked.  "I 
wanted  to  be  very  polite." 

"Why?" 

"  Oh,  because  I "  she  hesitated.  "  I  must  go 

now.  I  have  finished  the  party;  it  was  very  nice 
indeed." 

Mrs.  Corner  looked  at  her  with  sudden  suspicion. 
"  Did  Nancy  send  you  over  here  ?  "  she  said. 

"Nobody  sent  me.  I  didn't  tell  any  one  I  was 
coming." 

"  Why  did  you  come  then  ?  " 

"Why  to  see  you.  Didn't  the  servant  tell  you  ? 
Didn't  she  give  you  my  card  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes."    Mrs.  Corner's  face  cleared.     "  I  am 


216  The  Four  Corners 

glad  you  came  of  your  own  accord.  I  have  en- 
joyed your  call  immensely." 

"Thank  you.  Ought  I  to  say  Mrs.  Corner  or 
grandmother  ?  " 

"  Grandmother  would  please  me  best." 

"  Then,  good-bye,  grandmother.  I've  had  a 
charming  time." 

"Then,  please  come  again." 

"  I'd  be  delighted,  I'm  sure."  Her  company  man- 
ners were  in  full  swing,  and  she  went  out  after  a 
gracious  smile  and  bow. 

"The  droll  little  creature!  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Cor- 
ner. "I  must  tell  Helen  about  her.  I  want  to 
know  them  all.  They  interest  me."  So  Jack's  call 
was  not  without  effect. 


CHAPTER  XII 
NUTS 


CHAPTER  XII 

NUTS 

WITH  her  usual  compliance,  Jean  consented  to  go 
to  call  upon  her  grandmother  though  Mary  Lee  ob- 
stinately refused  to  make  any  overtures.  Children 
often  have  very  strong  prejudices  and  are  even  more 
determined  in  their  refusal  to  give  them  up  than  are 
their  elders.  Mary  Lee  felt  quite  virtuous  in  her  de- 
cision not  to  make  friends  with  her  relatives  and 
often  berated  Nan  for  having  no  backbone  and  for 
influencing  Jack.  Jean,  however,  had  been  won  over 
by  her  twin  who  descanted  upon  the  deliciousness 
of  the  refreshments  offered  her  and  upon  the  pretty 
things  their  grandmother  might  give  them. 

"You  see,"  said  Jack  to  Jean  in  arguing  the  mat- 
ter, "  we  must  be  polite  to  our  elders,  Aunt  Sarah 
says,  and  I  think  we  ought  to  be  very,  very  nice  to 
our  grandmother  because  she  is  old.  I  shouldn't 
wonder  if  she  were  the  oldest  person  we  know." 

"  Not  as  old  as  Unc'  Landy,"  said  Jean. 

"  No,  of  course  not ;  he  is  older  than  anybody,  but 
he  doesn't  count,"  returned  Jack. 

"I  think  we  might  take  grandmother  one  of  the 


22o  The  Four  Corners 

kittens,"  said  Jean  with  sudden  inspiration.  Lady 
Gray  had  recently  given  them  the  surprise  of  a  family 
of  four  lovely  kittens.  Aunt  Sarah  had  said  most 
positively  that  they  could  keep  only  one,  although 
they  had  all  insisted  that  one  apiece  would 
exactly  agree  to  the  number,  but  Aunt  Sarah  was 
firm  and  the  two  elder  girls  had  given  way  to  the 
younger  ones  who  had  each  selected  the  one  she 
preferred  and  now  it  was  a  matter  of  continual  dis- 
pute as  to  which  was  to  be  finally  kept.  A  third 
kitten  was  promised  to  Phil,  and  Mitty  had  declared 
that  she  knew  of  a  good  home  for  the  fourth. 

"  You  see,"  said  Jean,  "  if  the  kitten  lived  at  Up- 
lands we  could  see  it  often.  We  could  even  borrow 
it  sometimes  to  play  with  ours." 

"  We'll  take  them  both  over,"  decided  Jack,  "  and 
let  her  choose  one,  then  we  won't  have  to  quar- 
rel any  more  over  them,  for  that  will  settle  it." 

They  started  off  each  with  a  wee,  mewing  kitten, 
and  were  duly  announced  as  Miss  Jacqueline  and 
Miss  Jean  Corner,  though  this  time  their  Aunt  Helen 
was  at  home  and  they  were  not  ushered  into  the 
drawing-room  but  into  the  library,  and  from  thence 
were  conducted  up-stairs  to  their  grandmother's 
room. 

"Well,  young  ladies,"  said  Mrs.  Corner,  "lam 
glad  to  see  you.  So  this  is  Jean.  She  looks  more 


NutS  22 1 

like  the  Lees  than  Nancy  and  Jack.  What  have  you 
there,  my  dears  ?  " 

"We  have  brought  you  a  kitten,"  spoke  up  Jack. 
"We  brought  two  so  you  could  take  your  choice, 
for  it  is  really  very  hard  to  tell  which  of  them  all  is 
the  prettiest.  We  let  Phil  take  his  choice  first  and 
we  left  the  ugliest  for  Mitty,  though  that  one  is 
really  very  pretty,  but  not  quite  so  lovely  as  these." 

"It  is  very  kind  of  you  to  want  me  to  have  the 
best,"  said  Mrs.  Corner.  "  Which  do  you  consider 
the  prettier  ?  " 

"I  like  this  one,"  said  Jack,  displaying  a  furry 
gray  ball  from  which  issued  a  protesting  mew  as 
Jack  held  it  up. 

"  And  1  like  this,"  said  Jean,  more  discreetly  hold- 
ing her  kitten  in  her  lap.  "  It  has  white  feet  and  a 
white  shirt  front.  Jack's  is  all  gray.  Mine  is  named 
Rubaiyat ;  we  call  it  Ruby." 

"And  mine,"  said  Jack  gravely,  "is  Maher- 
Shalal-Hash-Baz.  It's  a  Bible  name.  Baz  ought  to 
be  very  good." 

"What  extraordinary  names!"  exclaimed  Mrs. 
Corner. 

"  Ruby  is  named  after  the  '  Rubaiyat  of  a  Persian 
Kitten,'  for  Lady  Gray  is  a  Persian,  you  know.  Ran 
named  them  and  he  said  we  could  call  Jean's,  Ruby, 
and  mine  Baz.  He  says  that  Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz 


222  The  Four  Corners 

just  suits  a  cat  for  he  found  out  what  it  means  and  it 
means  'the  spoil  hastens  ;  the  prey  speeds.' " 

"  Helen,  did  you  ever  know  such  droll  children  ?" 
said  Mrs.  Corner  laughing. 

"  Would  you  like  to  look  at  them  closer  ?"  said 
Jack.  "  Their  claws  are  very  briery  like  blackberry 
bushes,  but  they  really  don't  scratch  unless  you 
don't  know  how  to  hold  them.  I'll  put  them  in 
your  lap  and  you  can  see  how  sweet  and  dear  they 
are." 

"They  certainly  are  beauties,"  said  Mrs.  Corner, 
admiringly.  "Don't  you  think  we  would  enjoy 
having  one,  Helen?" 

"Most  decidedly,"  said  Miss  Helen,  "and  of  the 
two  I  think  Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz  charms  me  the 
most.  He  is  a  darling." 

Jack  gave  a  long  sigh.  "  I  just  knew  you'd  say 
that." 

"  Would  you  rather  keep  this  one,  then  ?  "  asked 
Miss  Helen. 

"Oh,  yes,"  said  Jack. 

"Oh,  no,"  said  Jean. 

The  ladies  laughed.  "Then  suppose  you  don't 
give  either  away,"  said  Mrs.  Corner. 

"  We  can't  keep  but  one,  you  know.  Aunt  Sarah 
said  so,"  Jean  told  them.  "  And  we'd  rather  you'd 
have  one  than  anybody." 


Nuts  223 

"Then  we'll  take  the  gray  one  gladly  and  are  very 
much  obliged  to  you  for  thinking  of  bringing  us 
such  a  beautiful  and  valuable  pet,"  Mrs.  Corner  told 
them.  "Haven't  we  some  cake  or  something  for 
these  little  girls,  Helen  ?  "  she  asked. 

Miss  Helen  thought  so  and  they  were  presently 
regaled  upon  delicious  cake  and  some  sort  of  curious 
drink  that  tasted  like  currant  jelly  and  mint.  It  was 
a  beautiful  red  color  and  Jack  thought  it  was  better 
than  the  pink  lemonade  at  the  County  Fair. 

While  they  were  eating  and  drinking,  Miss  Helen 
left  them  to  bring  back  to  each  some  odd  little  green 
dishes  which  she  said  she  had  found  in  Holland. 
The  children  were  delighted  with  the  curiously 
shaped  pots  and  pans,  the  pitchers  and  tea-pots, 
and  bore  them  off  in  triumph,  Jack  feeling  less  re- 
gret at  leaving  her  kitten  since  in  return  she  had 
these  queer  little  dishes. 

She  displayed  them  in  high  glee  to  Nan  who  was 
surprised  and  pleased  that  such  an  interest  had  been 
shown  in  her  little  sisters.  If  only  Mary  Lee  would 
not  be  so  offish,  all  might  be  pleasant  between  the 
two  households,  she  thought,  and — though  this  she 
only  secretly  admitted — they  might  still  share  the 
delights  of  those  beautiful  withheld  gifts. 

Place  o'  Pines  was  too  chilly  a  spot  to  be  visited 
these  November  days,  but  the  woods  up  the  moun- 


224  The  Four  Corners 

tainside  attracted  both  girls  and  boys  one  Saturday 
afternoon  after  the  first  frost,  for  Phil  and  Mary  Lee 
knew  a  place  where  nuts  were  plentiful,  so  they  all 
piled  into  the  Lewis's  carryall  and  went  to  where 
the  road  ended,  fastening  the  horses  there  and  going 
the  rest  of  the  way  on  foot.  It  was  wildly  beautiful 
in  this  mountain  forest.  The  distant  call  of  a  bird, 
the  rustle  of  leaves  as  some  creature  of  the  woods 
sped  from  sight,  or  the  trickle  of  some  little  moun- 
tain brook  was  all  that  could  be  heard  until  the 
merry  laughter  of  the  young  people  rang  out  upon 
the  air. 

Nan  sat  down  upon  a  log  and  was  soon  lost  in  a 
dream.  The  boys  fell  to  gathering  nuts;  Jack  and 
Jean  ran  here  and  there  excited  by  the  freedom  and 
wildness  of  the  spot;  Phil  and  Mary  Lee  soon  dis- 
covered a  mutual  interest  in  the  lair  of  a  Molly 
Cotton-Tail  and  her  babies  and  next  gave  chase  to 
a  squirrel. 

"We  might  find  out  where  he  lives,"  said  Phil. 
"  I'd  like  to  get  a  young  one  and  train  him.  There 
he  goes,  Mary  Lee.  Come  on,"  and  Mary  Lee  fol- 
lowed over  fallen  logs,  through  heaps  of  dead  leaves 
and  broken  branches  till  finally  Master  Squirrel  was 
lost  from  view  and  they  were  a  long  distance  from 
where  they  started. 

Meanwhile    several  bags   of  nuts  were  stowed 


Nuts  225 

away  under  the  seat  of  the  carryall  and  Randolph 
discovered  that  it  was  time  to  start  back.  "The 
days  are  so  short,"  he  said,  "  that  we  haven't  time 
to  more  than  get  back  before  dark.  Call  them  all 
in,  Ashby." 

Ashby  gave  a  long  mountain  call.  Jack  and  Jean 
came  running  and  Nan  appeared  from  where  she 
had  been  picking  up  a  last  hoard  of  nuts.  "  Where 
are  the  others  ?  "  asked  Ran. 

"Don't  know,"  returned  Nan. 

"I  saw  them  go  off  that  way."  Jack  waved  her 
hand  toward  the  west.  Ran  went  a  short  distance 
and  gave  the  call.  Then  he  waited.  There  was 
utter  silence  save  for  the  trickling  of  the  little  stream. 
Again  he  called  but  there  was  no  response. 
"Where  can  they  be  ?  "  he  said  impatiently.  "  They 
ought  to  know  better  than  to  act  so.  I  suppose 
they  think  it  is  funny  to  pretend  they  don't  hear." 
But  in  a  little  while,  he  feared  that  it  was  not  pre- 
tense, and  that  they  were  really  not  only  out  of 
sight  but  out  of  hearing.  He  did  not  voice  his  alarm 
to  the  girls,  however,  but.  after  whistling  softly  for 
a  few  minutes,  he  walked  away,  calling  to  his 
brother. 

"See  here,  Ashby,"  he  said,  "I'm  afraid  those 
two  have  strayed  away  and  have  lost  their  bearings. 
Because  they  have  been  up  here  a  number  of  times, 


226  The  Four  Corners 

they  think  they  can  find  their  way  anywhere.  Now, 
don't  express  any  surprise  when  I  propose  that  you 
drive  the  others  home.  I'm  going  to  stay  here  and 
you  go  back  and  tell  Colonel  Lewis  what  I  fear. 
Get  fresh  horses  and  come  back.  I'll  wait  here  in 
case  Phil  and  Mary  Lee  find  their  way  back.  It  will 
be  all  right." 

Ashby  agreed  and  the  two  came  back  to  where 
the  others  were  waiting.  "  Phil's  playing  us  a 
nice  trick,"  said  Ran  in  assumed  contempt,  "  and 
it's  time  you  girls  were  starting  home.  I'm  going 
to  send  you  back  with  Ashby  and  I'll  wait  here  for 
the  others.  I'll  hide  so  they  can't  see  me.  Won't 
they  be  good  and  scared  ?  " 

"  But  how  will  you  all  get  back  ?"  asked  Nan. 

"Oh,  Ashby 's  coming  back  for  us.  It  isn't  much 
of  a  drive  and  Miss  Sarah  will  be  worrying.  As 
soon  as  it  gets  a  little  darker,  Phil  and  Mary  Lee  will 
hurry  out  to  the  road  fast  enough." 

"  You  don't "  Nan  glanced  at  the  twins  who 

had  clambered  into  the  carriage.  "You  don't 
think,"  she  repeated  in  a  low  whisper,  "  that  they 
could  be  lost." 

"Nonsense,"  returned  Ran.  "They'll  be  here  in 
a  minute,  only  it  isn't  worth  while  to  wait  for  them 
and  they  deserve  a  good  scare." 

Nan  looked  at  him  steadily.     She  was  not  quite 


Nuts  227 

sure  that  he  was  not  alarmed  for  the  safety  of  the 
missing  two,  but  he  smiled  confidently. 

"It's  all  right,"  he  insisted. 

"If  you  stay,  I  will,"  said  Nan  decidedly. 

"No,  you  mustn't,"  returned  Ran. 

"Why  not?" 

"I  don't  want  you,"  he  answered  bluntly. 

"Oh,  well  then,"  said  Nan,  somewhat  offended, 
"of  course,  I'll  not  stay,  but  I  must  say  you're 
polite." 

Ran  turned  away.  He  had  gained  his  point  at 
the  risk  of  being  rude,  but  that  was  of  little  moment 
just  then.  He  could  make  his  apologies  later.  And 
so  the  three  girls  drove  off  with  Ashby  as  attendant 
and  left  Randolph  to  keep  a  lonely  watch  on  the 
mountain. 

Aunt  Sarah  was  on  the  lookout  for  the  nutting 
party.  "Where  are  the  others?"  was  her  first 
question. 

Nan  explained.  "  Ran  thought  we'd  better  come 
on,"  she  said.  "  He's  waiting  for  Phil  and  Mary 
Lee.  Ashby  is  going  back  for  them." 

"Gracious!"  exclaimed  Aunt  Sarah  and  sought 
out  Ashby. 

When  she  returned  Nan  was  quick  to  read  the  anx- 
iety in  her  face.  "You  don't  think  they  could 
really  be  lost,"  she  said  in  alarm. 


228  The  Four  Corners 

"We'll  wait  and  see,"  returned  Aunt  Sarah  in  her 
most  non-committal  manner. 

But  as  the  hours  wore  on,  she  made  no  secret  of 
her  fears.  Jean  went  to  bed  weeping.  Jack's  eyes 
had  a  scared  look  in  them.  Just  suppose  there 
should  be  bears  and  wildcats  in  the  woods.  She 
put  her  question  to  Nan.  "  Aren't  there  wild 
animals  on  the  mountain?"  she  asked.  "  Landy 
says  so." 

"Of  course,  there  are  wild  animals;  foxes  and 
rabbits  and  chipmunks,"  Nan  answered  lightly, 
trying  to  allay  her  fears. 

"1  don't  mean  those.  I  mean  real  tearing, 
scratching,  eating  animals,"  said  Jack. 

"Oh,  I  don't  know,  1  don't  know,"  returned  Nan, 
ready  to  break  down  herself.  "  Don't  think  about 
it,  Jack.  Go  to  sleep  and  in  the  morning  you  will 
see  Mary  Lee  safe  and  sound  in  bed  asleep." 

"  Please  stay  with  me  then  till  I  go  to  sleep,"  said 
Jack.  "I  see  all  sorts  of  things  in  the  dark."  And 
Nan  stayed. 

About  nine  o'clock  Aunt  Sarah  put  on  her  wraps. 
"I'm  going  over  to  Mag's,"  she  said.  "I  can't 
stand  this." 

"Please  let  me  go,  too,"  pleaded  Nan. 

Aunt  Sarah  waited  a  moment  before  she  con- 
sented, and  the  two  set  off  together,  leaving  Mitty 


Nuts  229 

and  Unc'  Landy  to  keep  a  sleepy  watch  in  the 
kitchen. 

Meanwhile,  night  had  descended  upon  the  moun- 
tain. Feeling  that  danger  actually  threatened  his 
little  son,  Colonel  Lewis  provided  himself  with 
lanterns,  warm  wraps,  food  and  a  bottle  of  spirits, 
and  then  started  with  Ashby  to  the  spot  where  Ran 
waited. 

It  was  dark  by  the  time  the  carriage  appeared  and 
Ran  called  out :  "  That  you,  Ashby  ?  " 

"Colonel  Lewis  and  I,"  replied  Ashby.  "Are 
you  all  there,  Ran?" 

"  I'm  all  here,  but  nobody  else,"  returned  Ran  not 
meaning  to  be  jocular. 

"They  haven't  come?"  Colonel  Lewis  asked 
making  his  way  quickly  to  the  spot. 

"No,  sir.  Don't  you  think  it  would  be  a  good 
plan  to  build  a  fire  ?  They  might  see  it,  or  they 
might  see  the  smoke." 

"If  there  is  no  danger  of  the  woods  catching  we 
can  do  it." 

"There's  a  big  rocky  place  further  on  where  I 
think  it  would  be  safe,"  Ran  told  him.  "I  have 
kept  up  a  constant  calling,  but  haven't  heard  a  sound 
except  from  an  owl." 

To  build  the  fire  was  the  first  step  and  Ashby  was 
left  to  watch  it  while  the  other  two  set  out,  lanterns 


230  The  Four  Corners 

in  hand,  taking  the  direction  in  which  the  wanderers 
had  disappeared.  "  I  always  carry  a  small  com- 
pass," said  Colonel  Lewis, ' '  and  I  have  hunted  in  these 
mountains  since  I  was  a  boy.  We'll  keep  an  eye  on 
the  smoke  and  then  if  we  can  only  find  those  chil- 
dren, I  shall  have  no  fears  about  our  getting  back  to 
the  fire.  You're  not  afraid,  Ashby?"  he  called 
back. 

"No,  sir,"  came  the  prompt  reply. 

"Keep  up  a  good  fire  and  a  good  heart,"  called 
Ran. 

"  All  right,  I  will,"  and  little  Ashby  had  his 
turn  of  loneliness.  It  must  be  confessed  that  he  did 
feel  a  sinking  of  heart  as  he  saw  the  two  disappear 
into  the  darkness  of  the  forest. 

Darker,  more  lonesome,  more  awful  did  that 
forest  seem  to  the  two  children  who,  wearied  at  last 
from  unsuccessful  attempts  to  find  their  way  back, 
sat  down  upon  a  log  to  rest.  "It's  no  use  trying 
any  more,"  said  Phil.  "  We're  tuckered  out  and  we 
can't  see  a  yard  ahead  of  us  anyhow.  It  wasn't 
right  for  me  to  bring  you  way  off  here,  Mary  Lee, 
and  I  wish  I  hadn't  done  it." 

"It  wasn't  your  fault  any  more  than  mine,"  said 
she.  "  We  both  started  to  follow  the  squirrel." 

"  Yes,  but  I  said  I  wanted  to  try  to  catch  a  young 


Nuts  231 

one,  and  so  you  went  to  accommodate  me.  If  I 
hadn't  said  that  you  wouldn't  have  gone." 

"We  might  have  gone  after  something  else  just 
the  same,"  said  the  girl.  "It  is  awfully  dark,  isn't 
it,  Phil?" 

"Father  always  carries  a  compass."  Phil  was 
busy  with  his  own  thoughts.  "I  wish  we  knew 
the  direction  we  came,  then  I  could  find  the 
North  star  and  go  by  that." 

"  But  we  can  scarcely  see  the  stars  in  here." 

"Anyhow  I  ought  to  have  noticed  the  direction. 
Father  says  that  is  what  one  ought  always  to  do 
when  he  is  in  a  strange  place,  especially  in  the 
woods." 

"It's  getting  very  cold,"  said  Mary  Lee,  plaintively. 
"  Do  you  suppose  we  could  kindle  a  fire  by  rubbing 
two  sticks  together  as  the  Indians  do  ?  " 

"It  wouldn't  do  to  have  a  fire  here  if  we  had 
matches.  We  might  set  the  woods  on  fire.  We 
ought  to  get  out  into  some  open  place  to  do  that." 

"  Couldn't  we  find  one?" 

"It's  warmer  here,  more  sheltered,  you  know. 
Are  you  very  cold,  Mary  Lee  ?  Take  my  coat." 

"  I'll  do  no  such  thing,"  Mary  Lee  refused  deter- 
minedly. "  It's  no  colder  for  me  than  for  you." 

"Then  let's  sit  close."    So  the  two  cousins  snug- 


232  The  Four  Corners 

gled  together,  each  feeling  comfort  from  the  near- 
ness of  the  other. 

"I  wish  we  had  something  to  eat,"  sighed  Mary 
Lee  after  a  silence.  "It  will  be  a  long  time  before 
morning.  Shall  you  dare  to  go  to  sleep,  Phil  ?  " 

"  I — don't  know." 

"  Do  you  suppose  they  will  try  to  find  us  ?" 

"  My  father  will,  I  know." 

"  What  are  you  thinking  about  ?  "  said  Mary  Lee 
after  another  long  pause. 

"I'm  trying  to  puzzle  out  about  directions.  Of 
course,  the  mountain  is  west  of  the  town,  for  the 
sun  sets  behind  it,  so  we  ought  to  go  east  to  get 
back,  and  we  must  go  down-hill  instead  of  up." 

"But  we  might  go  down-hill  and  go  north  or 
south." 

"When  the  sun  rises,  we  can  see  that  and  travel 
toward  the  east." 

"  We  can  do  that  unless "  Mary  Lee's  courage 

was  beginning  to  ooze  out  and  she  gave  a  little 
frightened  sob. 

"What,  Mary  Lee?"  Phil  began  to  stroke  her 
hand  in  boyish  fashion. 

"  Unless  the  bears  or  wildcats  get  us  before  then," 
she  sobbed  outright. 

Phil  had  thought  of  this,  but  had  not  mentioned 
it.  "They  shall  not  get  us,"  he  declared.  "They 


Nuts  233 

are  not  going  to.  Father  will  find  us  before 
long." 

"How  can  he?" 

"He  can,  and  he  will,"  said  Phil  confidently. 
"  Father  can  do  anything  he  sets  out  to  do." 

This  was  somewhat  comforting,  though  it  did 
not  keep  out  the  cold  which  was  growing  more  and 
more  evident  every  moment  and  presently  both 
children  were  shivering. 

"Do  you  suppose,"  said  Mary  Lee,  "that  if  we 
covered  ourselves  with  leaves  like  the  Babes  in  the 
Woods  that  we  would  be  warmer  ?  " 

"  We  might  try  it,"  said  Phil.  "The  leaves  are 
good  and  dry  and  there  are  lots  around  us  right 
here." 

They  began  to  feel  around  them  and  to  scrape  up 
the  fallen  leaves,  the  exercise  helping  them  to  keep 
warm.  They  kept  close  together,  fearing  lest  one 
should  be  separated  from  the  other  and  not  be  able 
to  find  the  way  back.  They  sat  down  in  their  nest 
of  leaves  and  pulled  them  high  around  them. 

"1  know  now  how  the  woodsy  things  feel,"  said 
Mary  Lee,  cheered  by  the  warmth.  "They  sleep 
under  a  blanket  of  leaves  all  winter  and  peep  out 
again  in  the  spring.  I'm  getting  sleepy,  Phil." 
She  rested  her  head  against  the  log  and  was  soon 
asleep. 


234  Tne  Four  Corners 

Phil  piled  the  leaves  over  her  till  she  was  almost 
hidden  by  them,  but  for  him  there  was  no  sleep, 
for  afar  off  the  wailing  cry  of  a  wildcat  he  heard 
and  recognized.  Presently,  it  sounded  nearer  and 
the  boy  in  terror,  crouched  down  in  the  leaves  by 
his  sleeping  companion. 


CHAPTER  XI 


TROUBLE  FINDS  THEM 


CHAPTER  XIII 
TROUBLE  FINDS  THEM 

AFTER  all,  it  was  not  Colonel  Lewis  nor  Ran  who 
first  found  the  two  lost  ones,  but  that  humble  and 
frequently  despised  creature,  Trouble.  Trouble  at 
whom  Colonel  Lewis  always  jeered,  whom  Phil 
often  teased,  and  Mary  Lee  abused  to  his  face,  call- 
ing him  mongrel  cur  while  he  wagged  his  tail  in 
happy  unconsciousness  that  she  was  not  calling  him 
a  pet  name.  It  was  a  favorite  amusement  of  Mary 
Lee's  to  use  all  sorts  of  uncomplimentary  words  in 
a  caressing  voice  when  speaking  to  the  dog,  so  that 
Trouble  would  believe  he  was  being  made  much  of 
and  would  respond  in  his  best  manner. 

Nan  suddenly  remembered  this  after  her  return 
home  and  she  called  the  dog,  wrote  a  note  and  tied 
it  around  his  neck,  then  bade  him  follow  the  car- 
riage, which  at  that  time  was  still  in  sight.  He  un- 
derstood and  obeyed  gladly  for  he  always  delighted 
to  be  one  of  an  outgoing  party.  That  he  did  not 
follow  them  earlier  in  the  afternoon  was  because 
Mary  Lee  had  driven  him  back  when  he  had  tried 
to  become  one  of  their  number.  "He  is  always 
scaring  up  rabbits  and  frightening  birds  when  Phil 


238  The  Four  Corners 

and  I  want  to  observe  their  habits,"  she  said  in  ex- 
cuse. 

"Observe  their  habits,"  mocked  Nan.  "Do  let 
him  go;  he  can  follow  me  all  he  likes." 

"  That's  just  what  he  will  not  do,"  Mary  Lee  re- 
turned. "  He  always  comes  with  us." 

"  Because  you  go  prowling  around  and  1  sit  still," 
retorted  Nan.  "  He's  just  as  fond  of  me,  I  know." 

But  Mary  Lee  had  her  way  and  called  Unc'  Landy 
to  keep  Trouble  at  home. 

Colonel  Lewis  and  Ran  had  already  started  upon 
their  search  when  Trouble  sprang  out  of  the  dark- 
ness toward  the  fire  in  front  of  which  Ashby  sat. 
Greatly  pleased  at  discovering  one  of  the  family, 
Trouble  nearly  wagged  off  the  hind  part  of  his 
body.  That  Ashby  was  glad  to  see  him  goes  with- 
out the  saying,  and  the  boy  was  glad  for  more  than 
one  reason. 

"Good  boy,  Trouble,  come  here,"  he  said. 
"  You've  had  a  long  tramp,  haven't  you  ?  What's 
that  around  your  neck  ?  "  He  unfastened  the  note 
which  was  tied  to  his  collar.  It  read:  "Send 
Trouble  after  Mary  Lee  and  Phil.  He  can  get  the 
scent  from  their  coats  that  we  put  in  the  carriage. 
Oh,  I  hope  he  can  find  them.  Nan." 

Ashby  ran  to  the  carriage  and  dragged  forth  the 
wraps.  Quickly  selecting  a  coat  of  Mary  Lee's  and 


Trouble  Finds  Them  239 

one  of  Phil's,  he  held  them  out.  "  Here,  Trouble," 
he  said,  "seek  them.  Find  Mary  Lee,  Trouble." 
The  dog  sniffed  the  coat,  trotted  off  a  few  steps, 
looked  back  to  see  if  he  was  doing  what  was  ex- 
pected of  him,  and  then,  with  nose  to  the  ground, 
took  up  the  scent  and  disappeared. 

At  this  very  moment,  Phil  was  cowering  in  the 
leaves  in  momentary  fear  of  hearing  the  wildcat's 
scream  closer  at  hand.  An  owl  hooting  mournfully 
near-by  suddenly  awakened  Mary  Lee  who  gave  a 
little  shriek  of  terror  as  she  realized  where  she  was. 
"  I've  been  asleep  in  these  dreadful  lonely  woods," 
she  said.  "How  could  I  do  it?  Oh,  Phil,  what's 
that  ?  "  For  again  the  cry  of  the  wildcat  sounded 
through  the  forest. 

"Never  mind,  Mary  Lee,"  said  Phil.  "  Don't  be 
scared.  I'll  take  care  of  you." 

"  How  can  you,"  said  Mary  Lee,  "  a  boy  with  not 
even  a  pistol  ?  What  can  you  do  to  a  wildcat  ?  " 

"  I'll  fight  it  as  long  as  I  can,"  said  Phil  between 
set  teeth,  "  and  you  could  get  away  anyhow.  Hark ! 
What's  that  ?  "  For  there  was  a  new  sound  in  the 
woods  that  was  neither  cry  of  wildcat  nor  hoot  of 
owl,  but  the  honest  and  friendly  bark  of  a  dog. 

Phil  sprang  to  his  feet. 

"  Is  it — is  it  a  wolf  ?  "  asked  Mary  Lee  in  trepi- 
dation. 


240  The  Four  Corners 

"No  sir-ee,"  cried  Phil,  excitedly.  "It's  a  dog. 
a  sure  enough  dog,  and,  if  I  am  not  much  mis- 
taken, it's  old  Trouble." 

Mary  Lee  scrambled  from  her  nest  of  leaves  and 
joined  Phil  in  calling.  "Trouble,  Trouble!  Hyar! 
Hyar!" 

There  was  a  joyous  yelp,  a  scampering  over  dead 
leaves  and  presently  Trouble  dashed  out  of  the 
darkness  toward  them. 

"Oh,  Trouble,  Trouble,  you  blessed  old  dear!" 
Mary  Lee  flung  her  arms  around  the  dog  who  could 
not  keep  still  in  his  joy  and  excitement. 

"  Listen  !  Look  !  "  cried  Phil.  There  was  a  faint 
call  in  the  distance,  then  the  twinkle  of  a  light  seen 
through  the  naked  trees.  Phil's  mountain  call  was 
answered  and  the  lights  came  nearer  and  nearer. 
Trouble  dashed  toward  them  barking,  yelping.  The 
owl  was  silent,  though  they  heard  the  soft  rush  of 
wings  overhead.  The  cry  of  the  wildcat  sounded 
faint  and  far,  but  close  at  hand  came  a  glad  "  Hallo  !  " 
followed  by  the  call  of  "  Phil,  Phil,  are  you  safe, 
boy  ?  "  And  in  another  minute  the  forms  of  Colonel 
Lewis  and  Ran  appeared  in  the  gleam  of  their  lan- 
terns which  shot  long  beams  aslant  the  darkness,  and 
discovered  Phil  and  Mary  Lee  standing  in  the  pile 
of  dry  leaves. 


Trouble  Finds  Them  241 

It  was  a  triumphant  journey  home  and  no  one  was 
more  contented  than  Trouble  who  lay  snuggled  by 
Mary  Lee's  side,  his  head  in  her  lap,  while  the  slow 
way  was  made  down  the  mountainside. 

It  was  almost  midnight  before  the  horses  drew 
up  before  the  house,  but  a  light  shining  from  the 
living-room  showed  that  some  one  was  still  up  and 
watching.  At  the  sound  of  the  wheels  Aunt  Sarah 
came  forth  and  peered  out. 

"All  safe,"  cried  Ran,  climbing  down.  He  was 
followed  by  Ashby,  Mary  Lee  and  Trouble  last, 
though  upon  this  occasion  not  least. 

Colonel  Lewis  drove  away  saying  there  was  too 
much  anxiety  at  his  own  home  for  him  to  stop  a 
moment  to  talk. 

After  hearing  particulars,  and  learning  that  they 
had  eaten  on  their  way  home,  Aunt  Sarah  hus- 
tled every  one  to  bed,  saying  that  rest  was  the 
best  for  each  one  of  them. 

Nan  had  fallen  asleep  at  last,  but,  as  Mary  Lee 
slipped  into  bed  beside  her,  she  was  conscious  of  her 
presence  and  stretched  out  a  hand  to  be  sure,  then 
threw  an  arm  around  her  sister  as  if  to  keep  her 
from  slipping  away  again. 

There  was  great  rejoicing  in  the  morning  and  Jack 
was  so  full  of  the  adventures  of  Phil  and  Mary  Lee 


242  The  Four  Corners 

that  she  could  not  keep  her  mind  on  her  Sunday- 
school  lesson  and  heard  scarce  a  word  her  teacher 
said. 

Trouble  was  made  much  of  and  was  saved  so 
many  tid-bits  from  the  breakfast  plates  that  he  was 
in  danger  of  an  attack  of  indigestion.  "  I'll  never 
call  him  a  mongrel  cur  again,"  said  Mary  Lee  ten- 
derly. "  If  it  hadn't  been  for  him,  we  might  never 
have  been  found." 

"  You  forget,"  said  Randolph,  with  a  look  across 
the  table  at  Nan,  "  that  if  it  hadn't  been  for  Nan, 
Trouble  would  never  have  gone  in  search  of  you," 
and  then  and  there  Nan  forgave  him  for  his  rude 
speech  of  the  day  before. 

"  If  I  hadn't  come  home,  I  would  never  have 
thought  of  sending  him,"  she  acknowledged.  "  He 
ought  to  have  a  medal,  bless  him." 

"  So  he  shall  have,"  said  Ran,  and  he  gravely  pro- 
vided a  tin  medal  on  which  was  scratched:  "For 
Heroic  Service."  This  was  fastened  to  the  dog's 
collar  and  it  was  worn  proudly. 

However  much  Nan  may  have  felt  that  Ran  had 
made  amends,  the  boy  himself  did  not  consider  that 
he  had  and  came  to  his  cousin  as  she  was  tidying  up 
the  living-room.  "Are  you  going  to  church, 
Nan  ?"  he  asked. 

"I  don't  know,"  she  replied.     "I  feel  as  if  I  had 


Trouble  Finds  Them  243 

been  drawn  through  a  knot-hole  this  morning.  Of 
course,  Mary  Lee  won't  go  and  maybe  I'll  stay  at 
home  to  keep  her  company,  though  she's  still  asleep, 
poor  child.  " 

"  1  thought  if  you  were  going  I'd  wait  for  you," 
said  Ran. 

Nan  threw  him  a  mocking  smile.  "  I  thought 
you  didn't  care  for  my  company,"  she  said. 

"  That  was  yesterday,"  returned  Ran.  "  Besides, 
I  didn't  say  I  didn't  want  your  company;  I  said  I 
didn't  want  you  to  stay  up  there  on  the  mountain 
and  so  I  didn't,  for  I  was  afraid  then  that  those  two 
were  lost  and  1  knew  it  would  be  harder  for  you 
there  than  at  home.  Then  I  knew  if  we  set  out  on 
a  search  you  couldn't  go  and  it  would  not  do  to 
leave  you  all  alone." 

"I  realized  all  that  afterward,"  Nan  told  him 
frankly. 

"Then  we  have  made  up,"  said  Ran  with  boyish 
eagerness. 

"Of  course,"  returned  Nan.  "  I  was  miffed  only 
for  a  few  minutes.  I  knew  before  we  got  home 
that  you  spoke  as  you  did  so  I  wouldn't  insist  upon 
staying.  Still,"  she  added,  "it  was  hard  to  go  off 
and  leave  one's  sister  to  wildcats,  though  I  must 
say  Mary  Lee  isn't  thinking  much  about  them  at 
this  moment,  and  I  hope  she  isn't  dreaming  about 


244  The  Four  Corners 

them.  There  comes  Phil,  so  he  is  all  right.  Mary 
Lee  says  he  was  so  brave  and  manly,  little  as  he  is." 

Phil  joined  them.  "  Say,  did  any  of  you  see  my 
watch  ?  "  were  his  first  words. 

"  Why,  no,"  replied  the  two.  "  Have  you  lost  it, 
Phil  ?  "  asked  Nan. 

"  I'm  afraid  so.  I  must  have  caught  the  chain  on 
something  in  the  woods  and  snapped  it  so  the 
watch  fell  out  when  I  stooped  over.  The  end  of  the 
chain  was  hanging  from  the  buttonhole  when  I 
looked  last  night  after  I  came  home,  but  the  watch 
was  gone." 

"Isn't  that  too  bad  ?"  said  Nan,  sympathetically. 
"  You  will  have  a  hard  time  finding  it,  I  am  afraid." 

"I'm  afraid  so.  I  wouldn't  lose  that  watch  for 
anything,  and  I'm  going  to  hunt  high  and  low  for 
it." 

"We'll  all  help,"  said  Ran.  "We'll  organize 
a  search  party,  Phil,  and  go  up  the  mountain  to- 
morrow afternoon." 

"Say,  that  will  be  fine,"  said  Phil,  gratefully. 
His  watch  was  one  of  his  dearest  possessions;  he 
had  not  had  it  very  long  and  was  feeling  very  hope- 
less over  its  loss.  "I  don't  suppose  we  shall  find 
it,"  he  went  on,  "  but  I'm  glad  to  have  your  help  in 
looking  for  it.  How's  Mary  Lee  ?  " 

"She's  asleep,"  Nan  told  him.     "  Aunt  Sarah  said 


Trouble  Finds  Them  245 

we  were  not  to  disturb  her.  1  think  she  is  only 
worn  out.  You  are  all  right,  aren't  you,  Phil  ?  " 

"Yes,  indeed,  or  I  would  be  if  I  hadn't  lost  my 
watch.  They  are  waiting  for  me;  I  must  go  or  I 
will  be  late  for  church." 

"I  reckon  I'll  go,"  said  Nan  suddenly.  Miss 
Sarah,  the  twins  and  Ashby  had  gone  on,  and  soon 
Nan  followed  with  Randolph.  She  was  feeling 
very  thankful  for  her  sister's  safety,  and  she  was 
not  the  only  one  of  that  congregation  who  sent  up 
a  silent  prayer  of  gratitude  for  the  deliverance  of 
two  children  from  the  "terror  by  night." 

The  next  afternoon,  the  search  party  started  forth 
though  this  time  Miss  Sarah  declared  the  girls  should 
not  go,  that  they  had  not  yet  recovered  from  the  ef- 
fects of  their  last  trip.  However,  since  Colonel 
Lewis  was  to  be  their  guide,  and  his  daughter  was 
going,  too,  consent  was  finally  given  to  Mary  Lee, 
though  she  was  charged  not  to  lose  sight  of  the 
older  members  of  the  party. 

"  I  really  don't  feel  as  if  I  ought  to  let  you  go," 
said  Aunt  Sarah,  "but,  since  Polly  and  her  father  will 
be  there,  I  can  assume  that  you  will  be  reasonably 
safe. " 

"  When  Phil  was  so  good  to  me  and  would  have 
fought  the  wildcat  if  it  had  attacked  us,  I  ought  to 
go,"  said  Mary  Lee.  "I  should  feel  downright 


246  The  Four  Corners 

mean  not  to  help  look  for  the  watch.  Besides,  I 
know  where  we  were  better  than  any  one." 

"Well,  go  along,"  said  Aunt  Sarah,  "but  don't 
you  lose  sight  for  one  minute  of  Polly  and  her 
father  and  don't  go  traipsing  off  with  Phil  alone." 

Mary  Lee  promised,  and  they  set  out. 

Nan  had  had  enough  of  the  mountain  for  one 
while,  and  besides  her  arm  was  scarce  strong  enough 
for  her  to  indulge  in  horseback  riding,  for  it  was  in 
this  fashion  that  the  party  determined  to  go.  The 
twins  were  in  terror  of  the  wildcat  and  it  was 
not  difficult  to  persuade  them  to  remain  behind. 

A  thin  stream  of  smoke  curled  up  above  the 
purple-brown  trees  against  the  blue  sky  as  the 
riders  turned  toward  the  mountain  path. 

"I  wonder  if  that  is  our  fire  still  burning,"  said 
Mary  Lee  to  the  colonel. 

"  Hardly,"  he  answered.  "  It  is  some  cabin  in  the 
mountain  I  suppose. 

Mary  Lee  watched  the  smoke  drift  away  across 
the  blue  and  wondered  how  it  would  seem  to  live 
so  far  from  neighbors.  She  decided  that  she  would 
not  like  it.  They  were  able  to  penetrate  much 
further  with  their  horses,  and  this  time  Colonel 
Lewis's  compass  was  put  to  use.  When  the  path 
became  too  intricate  they  fastened  their  horses  and 
the  colonel  led  the  way  on  foot,  and  finally  reached 


Trouble  Finds  Them  247 

the  very  log  where  Phil  and  Mary  Lee  had  rested  the 
night  of  their  wanderings. 

To  their  surprise,  a  little  further  on  was  a  clearing, 
and  it  was  discovered  that  the  path  they  had  taken 
led  them  to  a  cabin,  from  which  came  the  stream  of 
curling  smoke  they  had  seen  as  they  came  up  the 
mountain.  After  searching  all  along  their  way  and 
at  last  scattering  the  leaves  by  the  log  they  concluded 
that  they  must  give  up  the  watch  as  irretrievably 
lost,  and  were  about  to  turn  away  when  Mary  Lee 
saw  some  one  watching  them  curiously  from  a  little 
distance  off. 

"  There's  somebody,"  she  said  to  her  Cousin  Polly. 
"I  am  going  to  ask  if  anything  has  been  seen  of  the 
watch." 

"  Where's  anybody  ?  "  asked  Polly. 

"Over  there;  it  is  a  little  girl  about  as  big  as  I 
am." 

"It  must  be  Wordsworth's  cottage  girl,"  said 
Polly,  -'  for  she  has  'a  rustic  woodland  air,  and  she 
is  wildly  clad.'  I  reckon  she  will  run  if  you  speak  to 
her,  Mary  Lee.  These  mountain  people  are  mighty 
scary." 

"Then  don't  you  come.  Maybe  she  won't  be 
afraid  of  a  girl  her  own  size.  You  stay  here." 

Polly  agreed  and  Mary  Lee  went  toward  the  girl 
who  did  indeed  show  signs  of  alarm  and  looked  as 


248  The  Four  Corners 

if  she  were  about  to  run  away  when  Mary  Lee 
called  to  her,  "don't  go,  please.  I  want  to  ask 
you  something." 

The  girl  stood  her  ground  though  she  backed 
away  as  Mary  Lee  came  up.  She  was  a  pretty, 
dark-eyed  little  creature  with  masses  of  light  curly 
hair  tousled  about  her  neck.  She  wore  a  ragged, 
faded  calico  frock  and  her  feet  were  bare. 

"  My  cousin  and  I  got  lost  up  here  Saturday 
night,"  said  Mary  Lee,  "  and  if  we  had  known  there 
was  a  house  so  near  we  wouldn't  have  been  so 
scared.  We  heard  a  wildcat  and  it  frightened  us 
nearly  out  of  our  wits." 

The  girl  looked  interested.  Mary  Lee  had  chosen 
the  proper  way  to  approach  her.  "  We-alls  ain't 
skeered  of  'em,"  she  drawled.  "  Maw  shot  one  las' 
week,  an'  she  come  nigh  gittin'  another  yessaday." 

"Maybe  it  was  the  very  one  that  scared  us.  I 
wish  she  had  killed  it.  I  wonder  why  we  didn't 
see  a  light  in  your  house.  That  is  your  house, 
isn't  it  ?  " 

"Yes,  we-alls  lives  hyah.  They  wasn't  no 
light,  'scusin'  the  fiah,  an'  that  died  down  arter  sup- 
per. We-alls  goes  to  bed  with  the  chickens." 

"  We  didn't  get  home  till  nearly  midnight,"  Mary 
Lee  told  her,  "  and  my,  but  I  was  tired.  My  cousin 
and  I  got  lost  from  the  rest  and  they  had  a  great 


Trouble  Finds  Them  249 

time  finding  us.  If  we  had  only  gone  on  a  little 
further,  we  should  have  come  to  your  house, 
shouldn't  we  ?  " 

"We-alls  don't  come  aroun'  that-a-way  from 
town;  we  comes  up  the  other  side;  it's  a  little  mite 
furder  but  it  ain't  so  steep." 

"Oh,  that's  it.  I  wish  we  had  known."  Then 
feeling  that  she  had  established  a  sufficient  ac- 
quaintance to  put  her  important  question  she  asked, 
"  You  didn't  happen  to  find  a  little  watch  in  the 
leaves,  did  you  ?  My  cousin  lost  it.  He  sets  such 
store  by  it  and  we  all  came  up  the  mountain  this 
afternoon  to  help  him  find  it." 

For  answer  the  girl  put  her  hand  down  into  the 
bosom  of  her  frock  and  drew  forth  something  which 
she  held  out  in  her  palm.  It  was  Phil's  watch. 

"Oh!"  Mary  Lee  turned  and  called:  "Polly, 
Polly,  it's  found!  it's  found!"  She  turned  to  the 
girl  again.  "Where  did  you  find  it?  and  please 
tell  me  your  name." 

"  My  name's  Daniella  Boggs,"  said  the  girl,  taking 
a  shy  look  at  Polly  Lewis  who  now  came  up. 

Polly  put  out  her  hand  and  gently  detained  the 
girl  who  seemed  about  to  flee.  "  We  are  so  much 
obliged,"  she  said.  "  My  little  brother  was  dis- 
tressed at  losing  his  watch.  Where  did  you 
find  it?" 


250  The  Four  Corners 

The  girl  who  had  put  one  finger  in  her  mouth, 
took  it  out  and  pointed  to  the  heap  of  leaves  by  the 
log.  It  was  evident  that  in  stooping  over  to  gather 
them  Phil  had  dropped  the  watch. 

Colonel  Lewis  moved  toward  them  but  Polly 
waved  him  off.  She  saw  that  the  girl  was  too  shy 
to  stand  more  company,  and  she  left  her  with  Mary 
Lee,  herself  returning  to  her  father.  "  Offer  her  a 
reward,"  he  said.  "  Of  course  it  was  very  honest  of 
her.  She  could  easily  have  said  that  she  had  seen 
nothing  of  the  watch.  Here,"  he  took  a  bill  from 
his  pocketbook  and  handed  it  to  Polly,  "give  her 
this  and  tell  her  we  all  thank  her  very  much." 

Polly  carried  the  bill  to  the  girl.  "  My  father  and 
all  of  us  are  very  much  obliged  to  you,"  she  said, 
"  and  we  want  you  to  take  this." 

Daniella  retreated,  shaking  her  head  and  putting 
her  hands  behind  her.  "  I  don't  want  it,"  she  said. 
"  1  ain't  done  nothin'  to  earn  it.  Twa'n't  no  work 
nor  nothin'." 

"Oh,  but,"  Polly  argued,  "when  people  lose 
things,  they  expect  to  give  a  reward  to  whoever 
finds  them." 

Daniella  still  shook  her  head.  "I  ain't  done 
nothin',"  she  repeated.  "  Maw  wouldn't  like  me  to 
take  money." 

"  But  you  could  spend  it  in  town." 


Trouble  Finds  Them  251 

"  Don't  never  go  to  town." 

"  But  isn't  there  anything  you  would  like  ?  Your 
mother  could  buy  it  for  you,  you  know." 

Daniella  looked  at  the  red  knitted  jacket  which 
Mary  Lee  wore.  "I  like  that,"  she  said,  nodding 
her  head  toward  it. 

"  Then  you  shall  have  one  just  like  it,"  said  Polly, 
heartily.  "  I  will  go  right  to  work  and  knit  it  my- 
self. Wouldn't  you  like  a  pair  of  shoes  for  winter  ? 
and  can  you  read  ?  " 

"  Maw  kin.  I  kain't.  I'd  like  the  shoes  when  it 
snows,  but  I  hates  to  put  'em  on  befo'  that." 

"  Then  you  shall  have  a  pair  all  ready  for  the  first 
snow,"  Polly  told  her. 

"I  wish  you  would  come  to  my  home  some  day. 
Will  you,  if  we  come  for  you  ?  "  asked  Mary  Lee, 
with  a  missionary  spirit  of  enlarging  the  girl's  ideas. 

"I'd  be  skeered,"  said  Daniella. 

"  Oh,  no,  you  wouldn't.  I  have  three  sisters  and 
we  don't  live  right  in  the  town;  it's  like  country. 
We  have  chickens  and  things." 

"  I've  got  some  chickens,"  returned  Daniella,  "  an' 
I've  got  a  pig,  too.  Maw  wouldn't  let  me  go  to 
town,  I  reckon,  'cause  I  ain't  got  clothes  like  you- 
uns.  She  ain't  no  time  to  make  'em.  She  too  busy 
nussin'  grandad.  He  right  foolish-lak  now,  jest 
lakababy." 


252  The  Four  Corners 

"  Well,  we'll  come  some  day  to  see  if  your 
mother  will  let  you  come  to  town,"  said  Mary  Lee, 

"And  I  will  bring  you  a  red  jacket  like  this." 
Polly  put  her  hand  on  Mary  Lee's  arm.  "Good- 
bye, Daniella.  We  shall  not  forget  you." 

Daniella  smiled,  but  made  no  reply.  She  won- 
dered if  she  would  really  ever  have  such  a  beautiful 
thing  as  that  red  jacket.  About  going  to  town  she 
was  not  so  keen,  for  she  had  never  been  there  in  all 
her  short  life,  and,  though  she  half  longed  to  see  its 
wonders,  she  feared  to  step  beyond  the  confines  of 
her  own  forest. 

She  watched  the  party  ride  off,  but  turned  to  run 
as  Phil,  who  declared  he  must  thank  her  personally, 
went  toward  her.  Like  a  deer  the  girl  fled,  not 
stopping  till  she  was  safe  in  her  own  cabin-home. 
Her  courage  had  stood  all  that  one  afternoon  would 
allow. 


CHAPTER  XIV 
DANIELLA 


CHAPTER  XIV 
DANIELLA 

MARY  LEE  came  home  full  of  her  afternoon's  ex- 
perience and  could  talk  of  nothing  but  Daniella. 
Accordingly,  when  Nan  discovered  that  not  only 
Mary  Lee,  but  her  Cousin  Polly,  and  even  the  boys, 
showed  an  interest  in  the  little  mountain  maid,  she 
felt  that  she  was  rather  out  of  it  and  begged  Polly 
to  take  her  up  to  the  cabin  when  she  should  go 
with  the  red  jacket.  Jack  and  Jean,  too,  were 
greatly  interested.  Said  Jean:  " My  Sunday-school 
teacher  said  I  must  try  to  make  something  for  the 
church  basket  and  that  it  would  be  sold  for  the 
home  missions,  but  I  am  going  to  make  it  for 
Daniella  instead,  for  I  am  sure  she  is  a  home  mis- 
sion, and  I  would  thrice  as  soon  she  would  have  it. 
It  is  dreadful  for  any  one  to  go  barefoot  in  winter. 
I've  begun  to  crochet  some  lace  and  I  will  sell  that 
and  buy  something  for  Daniella."  So,  thereafter, 
wherever  Jean  went,  she  carried  her  spool  of  thread 
and  her  crochet  needle.  Her  length  of  rather  soiled, 
somewhat  uneven  lace  grew  apace  and  she  set  her 
hopes  upon  selling  it. 


256  The  Four  Corners 

Jack  took  no  such  industrious  means  of  showing 
her  concern,  unless  one  may  consider  her  method 
an  industrious  one,  for  she  called  on  various  of  the 
school  children  to  come  to  a  peep-show,  one  penny 
admission.  Ten  girls  came,  and  with  the  proceeds 
Jack  bought  corn  to  pop.  Nan  helped  her  to  turn 
it  into  delectable  pop-corn  balls  which  were  so 
toothsome  that  Ran  and  Ashby  bought  most  of 
them,  and  their  boy  friends  were  customers  for  the 
remainder,  so  with  little  labor  Jack  was  fifty  cents 
to  the  better  and  serenely  watched  her  less  quick- 
witted sister  Jean  patiently  working  her  lace. 

Nan  and  Mary  Lee  took  a  hint  from  Jack  and  con- 
ceived the  plan  of  having  a  bazaar  for  the  benefit  of 
the  little  mountain  girl.  The  boys  fell  in  with  the 
plan;  some  of  the  schoolgirls  joined  them  and 
Cousin  Polly  Lewis  herself  offered  to  mother  the 
scheme. 

"It  is  very  exciting,"  said  Nan  to  Mary  Lee  when 
they  had  taken  the  first  decided  move.  "I  keep 
thinking  of  all  sorts  of  things  to  do  and  of  people 
to  ask  for  contributions.  Do  you  suppose,  Mary 
Lee,  it  would  do  to  ask  grandmother  ?  I  shouldn't 
in  the  least  mind  asking  Aunt  Helen." 

"  I  wouldn't  ask  them  for  the  world,"  replied 
Mary  Lee. 

"  But  it  isn't  for  ourselves." 


Daniella  257 

"I  don't  care;  it's  asking  just  the  same  isn't  it?" 

"Yes,  that's  so,  and  I  made  up  my  mind  never 
to  ask  them  for  the  least  thing." 

"  It's  all  very  well  to  be  friends  with  them,  I  sup- 
pose," said  her  sister.  "I  mean  to  be  polite  to 
them  if  I  ever  meet  them,  but  I  don't  think  we 
ought  to  place  ourselves  under  obligations  to  them 
in  the  smallest  way."  Mary  Lee  evidently  voiced 
her  Aunt  Sarah's  opinions. 

"Oh,  well,"  sighed  Nan,  "then  I  won't,  but  I 
am  going  to  tell  them  about  Daniella.  I  was  just 
thinking,  Mary  Lee,  suppose  Daniella  won't  take 
anything  after  we  have  had  the  bazaar  for  her 
benefit.  What  shall  we  do  then  ?  " 

"Give  the  money  for  something  else:  home 
missions  or  traveling  libraries  or  something.  We 
shall  have  had  the  fun  anyhow,"  a  view  of  the  mat- 
ter which  Nan  regarded  as  very  sensible.  Mary 
Lee  generally  did  have  sensible  advice  to  give. 

"  I'll  make  a  lot  of  panuchee,"  Nan  went  on,  "  and 
I'll  put  black  walnuts  in  some;  nearly  every  one  likes 
that  kind  best.  I  know  the  Academy  boys  will  buy 
it,  and  that  it  will  go  off  like  hot  cakes.  Cousin  Mag 
is  going  to  send  a  fine  cake  and  Miss  Bouldin  has 
promised  one.  Do  you  think  it  would  be  best  to 
have  a  fancy  table  or  just  things  to  eat  ?  " 

Mary  Lee  considered  the  question.     "It  will  be  a 


258  The  Four  Corners 

little  more  trouble  to  have  the  fancy  table,  but  if  we 
find  people  want  to  give  things  of  that  kind  we  can 
have  it.  We'll  ask  Cousin  Polly." 

"And  where  shall  we  have  it  ?"  said  Nan.  This 
was  the  most  frequently  discussed  question  and  they 
had  not,  as  yet,  come  to  any  satisfactory  answer  to  it. 

Mary  Lee  looked  out  of  the  window  thoughtfully. 
"I  am  sure  I  don't  know,"  she  replied.  "No  one 
wants  to  give  up  a  room  big  enough." 

"If  mother  were  only  here,"  sighed  Nan,  "she'd 
think  of  some  place  that  would  do;  she  always  has 
ideas."  Then  suddenly  the  girl  gave  a  little  squeal 
and  clutched  Mary  Lee's  arm.  "  I  know,"  she  cried. 
"  Why  didn't  we  think  of  it  before  ?  We'll  have 
nothing  to  pay  for  it  and  it  will  not  put  any  one  to 
inconvenience,  and  it  will  be  as  if  we  really  had  it 
ourselves  as  we  wanted  to  do  in  the  first  place.  We 
can  use  the  old  wing." 

"  Of  course  we  can,"  said  Mary  Lee.  "  It  will  be 
just  the  place.  There  is  plenty  of  room  up-stairs  or 
down.  We  can  have  the  eatables  in  the  library  and 
the  fancy  things  up-stairs  in  the  room  over  it. 
Nan,  that's  splendid.  Let's  go  straight  to  tell 
Polly." 

They  dashed  out  of  the  house  and  down  the 
street  to  the  Lewis's  where  Polly  met  them  at  the 
door. 


Daniella  259 

"We  have  an  idea,"  said  Nan,  breathlessly. 

"  I  thought  you  must  have  something  the  way  you 
came  tearing,"  said  Polly.  "I'm  glad  it  isn't  any- 
thing breakable." 

Nan  was  too  anxious  to  give  her  suggestion  to 
notice  the  playful  irony.  "We're  going  to  have  the 
bazaar  in  the  old  wing  of  our  house,"  she  said. 
"  It's  empty  and  handy  and " 

"Dirty,"  laughed  Polly. 

"It  can  be  cleaned  easily  enough.  Now,  Cousin 
Polly,  why  will  you  laugh  at  it?  Isn't  it  a  fine 
idea  ?  "  Nan  was  aggrieved. 

"It  certainly  is,  Nan,"  returned  her  cousin.  "I 
won't  make  fun,  I  really  won't.  What  does  Aunt 
Sarah  say  about  it?" 

"  Oh,  she  won't  care.  We  spoke  of  using  our 
living-room  first,  you  know,  but  she  put  her  foot 
down,  and  when  Aunt  Sarah  does  put  her  foot 
down,  she  puts  it  down  hard.  You  know  there  are 
four  rooms  in  the  wing  beside  the  attic;  we  can  use 
the  two  largest  rooms  for  the  tables  and  keep  the 
supplies  in  the  others." 

Polly  nodded.  "We  really  could  serve  supper, 
or  have  a  loan  exhibit,"  she  said  reflectively,  "and  we 
might  then  be  able  to  make  quite  a  sum,  but  I 
reckon  we'd  better  not  attempt  too  much.  Maybe 
some  other  time  we  can  do  that.  Yes,  Nan,  the 


260  The  Four  Corners 

wing  will  be  just  the  place.  Now,  let  me  see.  You 
and  Betty  Selden  can  have  the  eatables  and  1  will 
have  Mary  Lee  with  me  at  the  fancy  table.  Jack  and 
Jean  can  be  flower  girls  and  Ran  can  take  the  money 
at  the  door." 

"  Where  can  we  get  flowers  at  this  time  of  year  ?  " 
asked  Mary  Lee.  "  We  don't  want  to  buy  them,  do 
we?" 

"  Oh,  everybody  has  a  few  house  plants,"  returned 
Polly,  "and  there  are  still  chrysanthemums  in 
bloom  out  of  doors.  We  can  make  up  some  very 
small  bouquets  and  sell  them  for  five  cents 
apiece." 

"What  I  want  to  know  is  exactly  what  we  are 
going  to  do  with  the  money,"  said  Nan.  "  People 
ask  me  and  I  can't  tell  them." 

"Why,  it's  for  Daniella,"  said  her  cousin. 

"Yes,  I  know;  but  she  wouldn't  take  any  when 
you  offered  it  to  her." 

"Then  we'll  spend  it  for  her  in  whatever  way 
seems  best.  Where  are  you  off  to  now  ?" 

"  We  must  tell  Aunt  Sarah  what  we  have  decided 
to  do,  and  we  have  lots  to  do  to  get  ready  in  time. 
I  think  I'll  begin  to  clean  the  rooms  at  once,"  said 
Nan,  eager  for  the  fray. 

"  You'll  do  nothing  of  the  kind,"  said  Polly.  "  I'll 
come  over  to-morrow  with  old  Achsah  and  get  them 


Daniella  261 

in  order.  I'll  have  to  see  about  tables.  I  suppose 
some  long  boards  supported  on  boxes  would  do." 

"There's  the  joggle-board,"  said  Nan,  "we could 
use  that."  The  joggle- board  was  a  useful  posses- 
sion; it  had  been  put  up  for  the  children's  amuse- 
ment in  the  first  place,  and  was  a  very  long,  very 
tough,  very  limber  board,  the  two  ends  of  which 
securely  rested  on  uprights.  It  gave  in  the  middle 
to  the  weight  of  the  body  and  as  younger  children, 
the  Corners  delighted  to  joggle  on  it;  even  now  Jack 
and  Jean  sometimes  entertained  themselves  by  its 
springing  motion,  though  it  was  more  often  used  as 
a  repository  for  anything  that  came  handy.  The 
milk  pans  sunned  there,  pies  were  set  upon  it  to 
cool,  tomatoes  were  placed  there  for  ripening, 
seeds  were  spread  out  for  drying. 

Polly  thought  rather  favorably  of  the  joggle- 
board.  "We'll  try  it,"  she  said,  "if  it  isn't  too 
long  to  go  in  those  rooms.  I'll  ask  father  where  we 
can  get  some  other  boards.  We  can  cover  them 
with  table-cloths  and  they  will  do  very  well." 

"There  are  no  other  boards  at  our  house,"  re- 
marked Mary  Lee.  "  Unc'  Landy  uses  up  every  bit 
and  end  to  fix  up  the  fences  and  roofs." 

"  We'll  get  some  somewhere,"  said  Polly. 

The  two  girls  ran  home,  eager  to  view  the  possi- 
bilities of  the  wing.  They  flung  open  the  windows 


262  The  Four  Corners 

of  the  deserted  rooms,  discussed  their  size,  advan- 
tages and  disadvantages. 

"It  will  be  as  cold  as  charity,"  declared  Mary 
Lee. 

"  Then  we'll  have  to  have  fires,  open  fires  will  be 
cheerful,  and  we'll  make  the  place  as  pretty  as  pos- 
sible." 

"  My,  how  dusty  the  windows  are;  it's  going  to 
be  a  sight  of  work,"  said  Mary  Lee. 

However,  this  matter  was  taken  off  their  hands 
by  Polly  who  pressed  her  friends  into  service  and  by 
the  last  day  of  the  month  all  was  ready.  Pine 
branches  and  autumn  leaves  decorated  the  mantel; 
curtains  were  hung  at  the  windows;  the  long  tables 
up-stairs  presented  articles  pretty,  useful  and  dainty, 
while  down-stairs  was  shown  such  an  array  of 
goodies  that  every  schoolboy  dived  into  his  pocket 
the  moment  he  entered  the  door.  Packages  of 
panuchee  tied  up  in  Japanese  napkins  were  in  great 
demand;  caramels  were  scarcely  less  favored,  and 
cakes  disappeared  bodily  in  no  time.  Jack  and  Jean 
disposed  of  every  bunch  of  flowers,  and  up-stairs, 
though  the  fancy  articles  went  less  slowly,  they  met 
a  steady  sale  and  very  few  were  left  by  the  end  of 
the  evening.  These  were  sold  by  auction.  Colonel 
Lewis  undertook  the  office  of  auctioneer,  serving  so 
successfully  that  while  every  buyer  thought  he  or 


Daniella  263 

she  had  a  bargain,  the  articles  really  brought  a  fair 
price. 

When  all  was  over,  and  the  last  visitor  had  de- 
parted, the  money  was  counted,  the  three  boys, 
Ran,  Phil  and  Ashby  willingly  undertaking  to  do 
this.  "  Twenty-seven  dollars  and  forty-five  cents," 
they  announced. 

"My,  haven't  we  done  well!"  exclaimed  the 
girls. 

"  I  thought  if  we  made  twenty  or  twenty-five  it 
would  be  a  lot,"  said  Nan.  "  I  almost  wish  I  were 
a  mountain  girl  myself  to  have  a  bazaar  held  for 
me." 

Jean  looked  quite  shocked  at  this  remark,  but  Jack 
agreed  with  Nan  that  it  would  not  be  a  bad  thing 
for  one. 

Polly  was  appointed  guardian  of  the  fund  and  it 
was  agreed  that  an  expedition  to  the  mountain 
cabin  should  be  made  that  they  might  learn  what 
Daniella  required  and  to  what  use  it  were  best  to 
put  the  money. 

During  this  time  the  little  maid  of  the  mountain 
never  dreamed  of  what  was  going  on  in  the  valley 
below,  where  the  town  whose  spires  she  could  see, 
seemed  a  far,  unknown  and  mysterious  place.  If 
she  had  imagined  that  she  was  the  constant  thought 
of  a  little  group  of  girls,  or  if  she  had  known  that 


264  The  Four  Corners 

their  keen  sympathies  and  tender  desires  went  out 
toward  her,  she  would  have  been  less  desolate  than 
she  was,  sitting  in  the  cabin  alone  with  her  feeble 
old  grandfather  whose  mind  was  like  that  of  a  little 
child. 

For  two  days  these  two  had  been  there  alone, 
Daniella  watching,  waiting  by  the  tiny  window, 
watching  and  waiting  for  the  return  of  her  mother 
who  had  gone  to  town  to  get  a  few  things  that  she 
felt  they  could  no  longer  do  without. 

A  long  time  old  Daniel  Boggs  and  his  son's  wife 
had  lived  on  the  mountain.  Here  little  Daniella  had 
been  born  a  month  after  her  father's  death.  Here 
the  child  had  thriven  like  an  early  spring  flower  not 
afraid  of  chill  winds  and  lack  of  sunshine.  Old 
Daniel  had  his  little  patch  of  corn,  his  wood  lot,  a 
few  rows  of  potatoes,  and  a  couple  of  pigs.  If  his 
revenues  were  increased  by  any  other  means,  his 
family  did  not  know  it.  They  had  enough  and 
were  content  till  in  course  of  time  Daniel  became 
more  of  a  child  than  his  little  granddaughter,  and  of 
late  had  lapsed  into  almost  a  helpless  state.  He 
had  to  be  constantly  watched  lest  he  do  some  mis- 
chief, and  he  had  become  unable  to  do  any  work  so 
now  though  the  corn  had  been  gathered  and  the 
potatoes  unearthed  by  Daniella  and  her  mother,  the 
wood-pile  was  low  and  the  winter  was  coming 


Daniella  265 

which  would  find  them  wanting  many  things.  To 
get  these  Daniella's  mother  had  gone  to  town  taking 
with  her  a  dozen  rabbits  which  they  had  trapped, 
and  which  she  hoped  to  sell. 

For  two  days,  Daniella  had  kept  up  the  fire,  had 
fed  her  grandfather,  had  looked  after  her  chickens 
and  the  pigs  and  now  was  anxiously  wondering 
why  her  mother  did  not  come.  Did  it  take  so  long 
to  sell  a  dozen  rabbits  ?  In  the  small  square  window 
her  anxious  little  face  was  framed  as  a  party  of 
young  people  came  up  the  road.  Daniella  recog- 
nized them  at  once.  There  was  the  young  lady 
who  had  promised  her  the  red  jacket  and  with  her 
were  two  younger  girls  one  of  whom  she  had  seen 
before.  Daniella  stood  watching  them.  They 
came  straight  to  the  cabin  and  knocked  on  the 
door.  Daniella  opened  to  them. 

"May  we  come  in?"  said  Polly.  "I  have 
brought  your  red  jacket." 

Daniella's  dark  eyes  sparkled,  and  she  stepped 
aside  that  her  visitors  might  enter.  "Maw  done 
gone  to  town,"  she  said.  "Tain't  nobody  hyah 
'scusin'  me  an'  grandad  sence  day  'fo'  yessaday 
mawnin'."  She  had  been  so  long  with  only  the 
doddering  old  man  in  the  corner  that  she  was  ready 
to  talk. 

' '  When  do  you  expect  your  mother  ?  "  asked  Polly. 


266  The  Four  Corners 

"I  dunno.  She  say  when  she  done  sell  her 
rabbits  she  come  back.  Hit  take  a  pow'ful  time 
to  sell  rabbits,  don't  it  ?  " 

"  It  ought  not  to,"  answered  Polly  a  little  uneasily. 
She  was  wondering  if  the  woman  had  deserted  her 
daughter  or  if  any  ill  could  have  befallen  her. 
"  Aren't  you  afraid  to  stay  here  alone  ?  "  she  asked. 

"No'm.  Grandad  jest  lak  a  baby  an'  I  kin  cook 
the  wittles,  but  I  wisht  maw'd  git  back." 

The  old  man  in  the  chimney  corner  stirred  and 
looked  vacantly  toward  the  visitors.  "Fine  day," 
he  said,  wagging  his  head,  then  he  added  in  a  confi- 
dential whisper,  "  but  they  won't  find  it." 

"  Now,  grandad,"  chided  Daniella,  "  jest  you  quit 
talkin'." 

The  old  man  turned  again  to  the  fire  and  mumbled 
something  about  no  one's  ever  finding  out  anything 
from  him.  Meanwhile  the  girls  looked  around  the 
room.  It  was  fairly  clean,  though  dingy.  A  four 
post  bedstead  over  which  was  a  patchwork  quilt, 
stood  in  one  corner;  in  another  was  a  sort  of  bunk 
over  which  was  thrown  a  hairy  robe  of  skins  sewed 
together;  two  hickory  chairs,  a  rude  stool,  a  bench, 
a  table  made  up  the  rest  of  the  furniture.  On  a 
shelf  was  a  pile  of  dishes  and  against  the  wall  hung 
a  few  cooking  utensils.  It  was  by  far  the  simplest 
establishment  the  girls  had  ever  been  in. 


Daniella  267 

Polly  produced  the  red  jacket,  known  in  common 
parlance  by  the  unpleasant  name  of  "sweater,"  and 
Daniella  gave  an  exclamation  of  pleasure.  "  Try  it 
on,"  said  Polly,  holding  it  out,  and  Daniella  thrust 
her  arms  into  the  sleeves.  She  gave  no  thanks,  but 
her  evident  delight  was  sufficient. 

"  Ef  I  had  a  pair  of  shoes  I'd  go  hunt  up  maw," 
she  said.  "  Leastways,  I'd  go  if  I  could  leave  the 
old  man." 

"  The  shoes  are  here,  too,"  said  Polly,  as  she  drew 
from  her  bag  both  shoes  and  stockings. 

Daniella  straightway  plumped  down  on  the  floor 
to  try  them  on.  "Shoes  never  feels  good,"  she 
said,  "  but  these  is  the  nicest  feelin'  I  ever  had.  Oh, 
I  wisht  maw  would  come.  Do  you  reckon  she 
could  take  all  this  time  to  sell  rabbits  ?  She  had 
twelve  of  'em.  We  trapped  'em,  her  an'  me.  She 
was  goin'  to  take  'em  to  the  sto'  and  git  things  fo' 
'em,  an'  then  she  was  comin'  back." 

"  She  ought  to  be  here  then,"  said  Polly. 

"I  wisht  I  could  go  hunt  her  up,"  said  Daniella, 
anxiously.  "You  don't  reckon  nothin' could  have 
ketched  her,  do  you  ?  " 

"No,  I  don't  see  why  anything  should,"  Polly 
tried  to  reassure  her.  She  gave  a  glance  at  the 
others,  a  glance  which  Daniella  read  with  alarm. 

"Yuh-alls  thinks  somethin's  went  wrong  with 


268  The  Four  Corners 

my  maw,"  she  cried.  Daniella  looked  helplessly  at 
the  old  man.  "  I  dassent  leave  him,  I  dassent,  an'  I 
wants  to  fin'  my  maw." 

Without  a  word  to  the  others,  Nan  stepped  for- 
ward. "I'll  stay  with  your  grandfather,"  she  said. 
"  You  go  to  town  with  my  cousin  and  my  sister  and 
hunt  up  your  mother.  I'll  stay  till  you  can  come 
back." 

"  Oh,  Nan! "  Mary  Lee  gave  a  low  ejaculation. 

"Oh,  Nan  !  "  repeated  Polly,  "ought  you?" 

Nan  nodded.     "Yes,  I  think  I  ought." 

"  I  won't  forget  you,"  said  Daniella  in  a  low  tense 
voice.  "  You're  good,  you  are,  an'  I'll  work  fo'  you. 
I'll  trap  rabbits  fo'  you,  I'll  get  nuts  fo'  you,  1  will. 
Grandad  ain't  no  trouble,  but  you  has  to  watch  him 
lessen  he  sets  hisse'f  on  fiah,  an'  he  has  to  hev  his 
supper  airly.  I'll  come  right  back  soon  as  I  finds 
maw,"  she  promised  eagerly. 

"I  will  stay  till  you  come,"  said  Nan,  steadily. 

"Thar's  a  pone  o'  braid  on  the  shelf,  un'er  thet 
dish,"  said  Daniella,  "  an'  thar's  rashers  hangin'  up 
thar,  an'  thar's  long  sweetenin'  in  thet  jug.  Thar 
ain'  no  other  kin'." 

Nan  was  mystified  but  she  said  nothing. 

"All  grandad  has  to  hev  is  a  bowl  of  coffee  an' 
some  braid,"  Daniella  went  on.  "I'm  goin'  away 
fur  a  little  while,  grandad,"  she  said,  turning  to  the 


Daniella  269 

old  man.  "Now  you  behave  yo'se'f  an'  don't  give 
no  trouble." 

"Nobody'll  git  anythin'  outen  me,"  said  the  old 
man  with  a  chuckle.  "  I'll  be  as  dumb  as  an  oyster." 

"  He  don't  know  what  I'm  talkin'  about,"  Daniella 
explained.  "You  needn't  min'  him,  jest  keep  up 
the  fiah  an'  see  that  he  doesn't  fool  with  hit." 

"If  we're  going,  we  must  start  at  once,"  said 
Polly,  "so  you  can  get  back  to-night,  Nan,"  to 
which  remark  Nan  heartily  agreed. 

The  glory  of  the  red  jacket  and  new  shoes  did  not 
fill  Daniella's  thoughts,  for  now  that  her  fears  were 
aroused,  she  was  more  and  more  anxious  about  her 
mother,  and  she  climbed  up  into  the  carriage  with 
no  just  appreciation  of  the  situation. 

At  the  last  moment,  Polly  came  back.  "  It  seems 
perfectly  dreadful  to  leave  you  here  with  that  silly 
old  man,  Nan,"  she  said.  "  I  shall  not  have  an  easy 
moment  till  I  know  you  are  safe  at  home." 

"Oh,  don't  bother  about  me,"  Nan  replied.  "I 
shall  do  very  well,  but  I  do  hope  Daniella  will  get 
back  before  night." 

So  they  drove  off  and  the  last  thing  that  Nan  saw 
of  them  was  the  gleam  of  the  red  jacket  as  the  car- 
riage disappeared  behind  the  trees  down  the  longer 
and  less  steep  road  by  which  it  had  come.  She 
wondered  what  she  would  do  with  herself  during 


270  The  Four  Corners 

the  hours  which  must  intervene  before  she  could  be 
released.  But  here  her  habit  of  dreaming  came  in 
well,  and  she  was  presently  building  air-castles 
while  the  old  man  dozed,  or  muttered  to  himself  in 
the  corner. 


CHAPTER  XV 
SACRIFICES 


CHAPTER  XV 
SACRIFICES 

IT  was  many  an  hour  before  Nan  was  relieved  of 
her  self-imposed  task  of  keeping  house  for  old  Dan- 
iel Boggs,  and  in  the  meantime  Daniella  was  going 
through  such  experiences  as  her  wildest  dreams  had 
never  suggested  to  her. 

Polly  drove  directly  home  to  consult  her  parents 
about  the  best  way  to  set  to  work  to  look  for  Mrs. 
Boggs,  but  she  found  neither  her  father  nor  mother 
at  the  house,  though  her  brother  Tom  happened  to 
be  in,  and  volunteered  to  go  down-town  to  make 
inquiries. 

"If  anything  has  happened  to  her  in  town,  they 
will  know  at  the  police  station  or  the  hospital," 
he  said.  "I'll  go  to  the  station  first,  for  it  is  right 
on  my  way.  If  I  hear  anything  there,  I'll  follow  it 
up." 

Polly  led  Daniella,  conscious  of  new  shoes  and 
jacket,  into  the  house  where  she  sat  stiffly  on  the 
edge  of  a  chair,  refusing  to  move  or  to  speak,  lost 
in  wonderment.  Never  before  had  she  been  in  such  a 
room  as  that  into  which  Polly  took  her,  although  it 
was  but  the  plainly  furnished  sitting-room  of  an  or- 


274  The  Four  Corners 

dinary  house.  Never  before  had  Daniella  seen  pic- 
tures in  gilt  frames,  books  in  colored  bindings,  car- 
peted floors  or  curtained  windows.  She  sat  as  if  in 
a  dream,  staring  around  in  amazement.  She  was 
too  proud  to  ask  questions,  too  shy  to  leave  her 
chair,  too  embarrassed  to  speak. 

Within  half  an  hour,  Tom  Lewis  returned.  He 
called  to  Polly,  but  Daniella  heard  him,  and  with  a 
swift  direct  movement  darted  toward  the  entry 
where  he  was.  She  stood  rigidly  erect  waiting  for 
his  first  words.  "  Come  out  here,  Polly,"  he  said. 
"  I  want  to  speak  to  you."  And  he  led  his  sister  to 
the  porch.  "  I  couldn't  tell  you  while  that  child's 
great  eyes  were  upon  me,"  he  said.  "I  have  found 
her  mother.  She  is  at  the  hospital  badly  hurt. 
She  has  been  unconscious,  or  at  least  delirious,  and 
they  could  not  discover  her  name  till  this  morning. 
Now,  what's  to  be  done  ?  " 

"Nan  mustn't  stay  up  there,  and  the  old  man  is 
to  be  considered,"  said  Polly  thoughtfully.  "Per- 
haps, Tom,  I'd  better  go  over  and  speak  to  Aunt 
Sarah.  Mary  Lee  and  Phil  went  over  and  have  given 
her  some  idea  of  the  state  of  things.  Meanwhile, 
you  hunt  up  father  and  see  if  he  can  advise  anything 
to  be  done  about  that  old  man.  We  can't,  for  hu- 
manity's sake,  allow  Daniella  to  stay  there  in  that 
lonely  cabin  while  her  mother  is  getting  well." 


Sacrifices  275 

"  And  we  must  get  Nan  home,"  said  Tom.  "  I'll 
find  father,  Polly,  and  he'll  know  what's  best.  The 
woman  is  not  likely  to  be  out  for  some  weeks,  they 
told  me." 

"Dear,  dear,"  exclaimed  Polly. 

"What  woman?  Where  is  she?"  cried  an  ex- 
cited voice  at  her  side.  Polly  turned  to  put  her  arm 
around  Daniella  who  was  looking  at  her  with  big 
frightened  eyes.  "Your  mother  has  been  hurt, 
Daniella,  dear.  She  was  run  over  by  a  wagon  on 
the  street,  but  she  is  in  good  hands  and " 

"  Where  is  she  ?  Where  ?  "  interrupted  Daniella, 
wrenching  herself  away.  "I  wants  to  see  her. 
Take  me  to  her." 

"  I  cannot  this  minute,  but  you  shall  see  her  as 
soon  as  we  can  make  arrangements.  Be  a  good 
girl,  Daniella,  and  don't  make  a  fuss.  We  are  going 
to  do  all  we  can  for  both  you  and  your  mother." 

Daniella  choked  back  a  great  sob,  but  sat  down 
on  a  chair  in  the  hall,  her  eyes  like  those  of  some 
patient,  suffering  animal. 

Polly  took  a  seat  beside  her.  "  We  are  not  going 
to  let  you  stay  up  on  the  mountain  alone,  so  far 
from  your  mother,"  she  went  on  gently.  "My 
brother  has  gone  to  find  out  what  can  be  done  about 
your  grandfather.  Now,  will  you  stay  here,  or  will 
you  come  with  me  to  Nan's  home?  Nan,  you 


276  The  Four  Corners 

know,  is  the  one  who  is  staying  with  your  grand- 
father." 

Daniella  nodded.  "  I  know  her  name ;  I  ain't  goin' 
to  fergit  it  neither.  I'll  go  thar  with  you." 

Polly  took  her  to  where  Aunt  Sarah  was  listen- 
ing to  Mary  Lee's  account  of  the  afternodn's  ad- 
venture. "What's  this?"  said  Miss  Dent,  as  Polly 
entered.  "Why  did  you  let  Nan  stay  up  there, 
Polly?" 

"She  wanted  to  stay,"  said  Polly  with  a  warning 
look.  "  This  is  Daniella  Boggs,  Aunt  Sarah.  We 
have  just  heard  that  her  mother  has  met  with  an 
accident  and  is  in  the  hospital.  The  nurses  assured 
Tom  that  she  was  doing  well,  but  we  must  make 
arrangements  for  Daniella."  She  followed  Aunt 
Sarah  into  the  next  room  where  they  talked  in  low 
tones  together  while  Mary  Lee,  Phil  and  the  twins 
put  their  heads  together  to  make  a  plan  of  their 
own. 

Daniella  sat  on  the  edge  of  the  sofa,  her  hands 
clenched  and  her  tears  rolling  down  upon  the  red 
jacket.  She  could  no  longer  keep  them  back. 
Presently  the  children  left  her  there  and  she  could 
hear  them  all  talking  in  the  adjoining  room. 

"  Please,  Aunt  Sarah,"  begged  Jack. 

"Oh,  do,  auntie,"  pleaded  Jean. 

"I'll  go  without  butter,"  put  in  Mary  Lee. 


Sacrifices  277 

"  And  I'll  empty  my  savings  bank,"  added  Phil. 

"Go  'long,  go  'long,  all  of  you,"  said  Aunt  Sarah. 
"Wait  till  your  elders  have  talked  this  thing  over 
and  then  we  will  see." 

"One  more  couldn't  make  so  very,  very  much 
difference,"  Mary  Lee  began  again. 

"  And  we  could  sleep  three  in  a  bed,"  Jean's  voice 
came  in. 

"Or  we  could  do  something.  There's  a  lot  of 
room  if  we  only  had  the  furniture,"  Jack's  argu- 
ment followed. 

"I'll  bet  mother  has  a  bedstead  to  spare,"  Phil 
chimed  in  eagerly,  "and  we  could  rig  up  one  of 
those  dressing-table  things  out  of  boxes." 

"Hush,  hush,"  Aunt  Sarah  commanded.  "You 
drive  me  wild.  Not  another  word,  Phil  Lewis,  till 
I  see  your  father." 

Then  all  of  them  trooped  back  into  the  room 
where  Daniella  was  sitting.  "Now,  Daniella,"  said 
Polly,  "you  are  to  stay  here  with  these  little  girls 
till  we  get  everything  arranged,  and  when  I  come 
back,  I  will  take  you  to  see  your  mother,  if  I  can." 
And  she  went  off  with  Miss  Sarah,  leaving  Daniella 
feeling  desolate  and  scared. 

The  children,  however,  could  not  avoid  the  sub- 
ject which  was  so  near  to  their  hearts.  All  their 
young  sympathies  were  aroused.  They  would  have 


2jS  The  Four  Corners 

given  Daniella  any  of  their  possessions,  and  were 
ready  to  make  any  sacrifices.  Did  they  not  know 
what  it  meant  to  have  a  mother  ill  and  away  from 
them?" 

"Our  mother  is  ill,  too,"  said  Mary  Lee,  "and 
she  is  way  off,  too  far  for  us  ever  to  go  and  see  her. 
She  had  to  go  there  so  as  to  get  well." 

Daniella  felt  the  sympathy  which  this  state  of 
affairs  must  bring  about,  and  she  wiped  her  eyes 
upon  the  back  of  her  hand,  and  tried  to  force  back 
her  tears. 

"Wouldn't  you  like  to  stay  with  us  till  your 
mother  gets  well  ?  "  ventured  Jack,  eyeing  the  dis- 
consolate Daniella. 

Daniella  blinked  away  her  tears  but  made  no 
reply. 

"  Hush,  Jack,"  said  Mary  Lee  in  a  half  whisper. 

You  mustn't  say  that  yet." 

"I  just  wanted  to  know,"  said  Jack,  still  gazing 
at  Daniella. 

"It  isn't  polite  for  you  to  stare  so,"  whispered 
Mary  Lee,  and  Jack  turned  away  her  eyes. 

"What  do  you  suppose  they  will  do  now  with 
the  money  we  made  at  the  bazaar  ?  "  whispered  Jean 
to  Phil.  But  he  shook  his  head  reprovingly  at  her. 

They  found  that  they  could  not  draw  Daniella 
into  conversation,  but  they  did  not  think  it  polite  to 


Sacrifices  279 

leave  her.  Jack  brought  her  a  picture-book  to  look 
at.  She  stared  at  the  pictures  uncomprehend- 
ingly. 

Mary  Lee  produced  a  piece  of  needlework  she 
was  doing;  it  had  no  better  effect. 

Jean  ran  out  and  brought  back  Rubaiyat,  whom 
she  placed  in  Daniella's  lap.  Then  the  forlorn  little 
stranger  smiled  and  smoothed  the  soft  fur. 

Encouraged  by  this,  and  not  to  be  outdone  by  her 
twin,  Jack  rushed  to  the  kitchen  and  came  back 
with  a  cake  and  an  apple  which  she  offered  to  the 
interesting  visitor. 

Daniella  eyed  the  apple  for  a  moment  and  then 
shook  her  head.  She  was  not  going  to  seem  to 
need  food  in  the  presence  of  these  more  favored 
children.  But  she  seemed  to  take  comfort  in  cud- 
dling Ruby  and  they  felt  that  they  had  done  all  that 
they  could. 

In  the  course  of  an  hour  Colonel  Lewis  came  in 
with  his  daughter  and  Miss  Sarah.  "Tom  and  I 
have  arranged  it,"  he  told  Phil  in  answer  to  the 
eager  questions  he  put  as  he  ran  out  to  meet  them. 
"We've  found  a  place  to  take  the  grandfather.  He 
must  go  to  the  County  Asylum,  as  his  mind  is  im- 
paired. We  must  get  Nan  home  right  away,  so 
Tom  or  I  will  drive  up  for  her  and  bring  the  old 
man  back.  They'll  keep  him  at  the  hospital  to- 


280  The  Four  Corners 

night  and  to-morrow  he  can  go  to  the  place  I  spoke 
of.  He  will  be  well  cared  for." 

"And  what  about  Daniella?"  asked  Phil. 

"That's  not  settled  yet.  She  will  stay  here  till 
we  can  determine  what  is  best  to  be  done.  The 
main  thing  now  is  to  get  Nan  home.  I  feel  very 
loth  to  leave  her  there  alone  a  moment  longer  than 
necessary.  Mrs.  Boggs  is  in  good  hands  and  is  im- 
proving." 

As  Polly  entered  the  room,  she  said,  "Now, 
Daniella,  you  may  go  to  see  your  mother."  Down 
went  Ruby,  awakened  rudely  from  the  nap  she  was 
taking  in  Daniella's  lap,  and  the  little  girl,  without 
waiting  for  further  invitation,  darted  out  the  door. 
She  ran  down  to  the  gate  so  fast  that  Polly  could  not 
overtake  her.  "Wait,  Daniella,  wait,"  she  called. 
"You  don't  know  which  way  to  go."  Then 
Daniella  paused  and  those  watching  saw  them  go 
swiftly  down  the  street. 

During  the  time  that  all  this  was  going  on,  Nan 
was  patiently  keeping  watch  in  the  cabin.  The 
short  winter  day  was  drawing  to  a  close  when  she 
stirred  the  fire  and  tried  to  set  a  kettle  of  water  to 
boil.  Little  as  she  was  used  to  cooking,  she  was 
less  used  to  an  open  fire,  and  found  some  difficulty 
in  making  the  coffee.  But  she  accomplished  it  at 
last,  emptied  some  into  a  bowl  and  poured  into  it  a 


Sacrifices  281 

liberal  supply  of  "long  sweetening  "  which  she  dis- 
covered to  be  molasses,  then  putting  some  of  the 
corn  bread  upon  a  plate,  she  set  it  before  the  old 
man.  He  was  able  to  feed  himself  which  he  did 
noisily,  but  with  evident  enjoyment.  Nan  could 
touch  none  of  the  food  herself,  though  she  was 
hungry  after  a  picnic  lunch  taken  on  the  drive  up 
the  mountain.  The  hours  began  to  drag  wearily. 
Once  in  a  while,  the  old  man  would  make  some 
meaningless  remark,  supposing  Nan  to  be  his 
granddaughter.  Two  or  three  times  he  attempted 
to  meddle  with  the  fire,  but  Nan  was  able  to  stop 
him.  He  was  simple  and  harmless,  but,  like  a  child, 
in  danger  of  doing  himself  an  injury  by  some  sud- 
den piece  of  mischief. 

Nan  wondered  how  Daniella  could  stand  living  in 
the  little  cooped  up,  bare  cabin,  how  she  could  en- 
dure the  privations  and  the  lack  of  companionship. 
As  the  shadows  deepened,  she  began  to  fear  it 
might  be  possible  that  she  would  have  to  stay 
there  all  night,  and  was  relieved  to  hear  the  sound 
of  wheels,  and  then  her  Cousin  Tom  Lewis's 
voice. 

"  Heigho,  Nan! "  he  cried,  "  Ran  and  I  have  come 
for  you." 

"Is  Daniella  with  you?"  asked  Nan,  peering  out 
the  door. 


282  The  Four  Corners 

"  No,"  answered  Tom  as  he  came  up  to  the  cabin. 

"Oh,  then  I  can't  leave.  I'll  have  to  stay  with 
the  old  man,"  returned  Nan  with  a  great  feeling  of 
disappointment.  "  I  promised,  you  know." 

Tom  came  forward.  "No,  you  won't  stay,"  he 
said.  "We  are  going  to  take  the  old  man,  too. 
Where  is  he  ?  " 

"  In  there  by  the  fire.  Oh,  Cousin  Tom,  who  says 
he  is  to  go,  and  where  are  you  going  to  take  him  ? 
What's  become  of  Daniella,  and  has  anything  hap- 
pened to  her  mother?" 

"  One  question  at  a  time,  please.  It  is  all  right 
about  the  old  gentleman,  so  don't  you  bother.  The 
first  thing  to  do  is  to  get  him  ready,  and  then  there'll 
be  time  to  answer  your  questions  on  the  way  home. 
I've  brought  an  old  army  overcoat  to  wrap  him  up 
in,  for  I  didn't  suppose  we  should  find  much  here, 
from  what  Polly  said." 

The  bewildered  old  man  was  soon  bundled  into 
the  carriage.  He  whimpered  like  a  child  at  being 
taken  from  the  cabin,  and  kept  saying  over  and  over, 
"  I'm  innercent,  I'm  innercent.  I  never  took  no 
hand  in  the  business." 

"He  probably  imagines  we  are  sheriffs  after  him 
for  a  moonshiner,"  said  Tom.  "Poor  old  chap!" 
He  tried  to  reassure  the  old  man  but  found  it  was  no 
use,  and  after  a  while  he  lapsed  into  silence,  seeming 


Sacrifices  283 

to  find  comfort  alone  in  the  supposed  fact  that  his 
granddaughter  was  with  him. 

On  the  way  down  the  mountain,  Nan  learned  of 
all  that  had  happened  since  morning,  and  kept  up 
such  a  running  fire  of  questions  and  comments  as 
made  Tom  declare  she  must  have  been  all  day 
thinking  them  up. 

She  felt  that  she  had  been  away  for  weeks  when 
at  last  they  stopped  before  her  own  door.  Was  it 
only  that  morning  that  they  had  started  out  to  take 
the  red  jacket  to  Daniella  ? 

Mary  Lee  and  the  twins  rushed  out  to  meet  her, 
full  of  the  day's  happenings.  "Daniella's  here," 
cried  Mary  Lee. 

"  Yes,  and  she's  been  to  see  her  mother  at  the 
hospital,"  said  Jack. 

"And  her  mother  is  crite  ill,"  put  in  Jean. 
"Cousin  Polly  says  she  can't  take  any  food  except 
licrids  because  she  has  such  a  fever.  She  was  hurt 
awfully,  but  she  told  Cousin  Polly  they  couldn't 
have  done  more  for  her  if  she  had  been  a  creen." 

"We  want  to  keep  Daniella  here,"  Mary  Lee 
went  on,  "and  Aunt  Sarah  is  thinking  about  it." 

"  Where  is  Daniella  now  ?  "  asked  Nan. 

"She's  at  the  hospital.  Cousin  Tom  is  going  to 
bring  her  back  when  he  takes  her  grandfather  there. 
Isn't  it  a  good  thing  that  Cousin  Philip  is  one  of  the 


284  The  Four  Corners 

directors?  He  had  everything  hurried  up  and 
settled  so  much  sooner.  Was  it  very  awful  stay- 
ing up  there  all  day,  Nan  ?  Were  you  scared  ?  " 

"It  was  lonesome,  but  I  wasn't  frightened. 
There  wasn't  anything  to  do  but  give  the  old  man 
his  supper  and  keep  him  from  fooling  with  the  fire. 
1  couldn't  eat  their  messes  myself." 

"  Then  you  must  be  half  starved,"  said  Mary  Lee. 
"You  poor  child.  We  waited  supper  for  you  all. 
Mitty  is  putting  it  on  the  table  now." 

Nan  thought  that  never  before  in  her  life  had 
batter  bread  and  cold  ham  tasted  so  good.  Never 
had  biscuits  and  baked  apples  such  a  flavor. 

After  supper,  Miss  Sarah  called  the  four  girls  to 
her.  "Now,  children,"  she  said,  "the  little  girl 
will  be  here  presently,  and  before  she  gets  here  we 
must  understand  whether  she  is  to  stay  or  not. 
They  will  take  her  in  at  the  Children's  Home  or  the 
St.  Mary's  Orphan  Asylum,  while  her  mother  is  ill, 
so  we  need  not  feel  that  she  will  not  be  looked 
after." 

"Oh,  but  it  would  be  dreadful  to  shut  up  that 
little  wild  thing  in  a  strict  place  like  the  Home  or 
the  Asylum,"  said  Nan,  with  keen  appreciation  of 
what  Daniella  would  suffer. 

"  But  you  know,  my  dear,  that  every  penny 
counts  with  us,  and  that  all  that  can  be  spared  must 


Sacrifices  285 

go  for  your  mother's  expenses.  If  we  keep  the 
child  here,  even  for  a  couple  of  months,  she  will 
have  to  have  clothing,  her  board  will  cost  some- 
thing, and  it  will  mean  sacrifices  on  the  part  of  all 
of  us.  Now,  the  question  is:  What  are  you  will- 
ing to  give  up  ?  " 

"  I  think  I  can  get  along  without  anything  more 
in  the  way  of  clothes  this  winter,"  said  Nan,  visions 
of  a  new  frock  fading  away. 

"And  I  am  sure  I  can  if  Nan  can,"  said  Mary 
Lee,  readily. 

"  I'll  wear  hand-me-downs  and  not  say  a  word," 
said  Jack,  "  and  I'll  give  Daniella  all  my  rice  pud- 
ding." 

"Because  you  don't  like  it,"  Jean  spoke  with 
scorn. 

"  Well,  never  mind,  if  she  likes  it,  what's  the  dif- 
ference ?"  said  Jack,  argumentatively.  "If  I  gave 
up  something  she  didn't  like  and  that  I  did,  it 
wouldn't  do  her  any  good.  You  haven't  said  yet 
that  you'd  give  up  anything." 

"Of  course  I'll  give  up  something,"  declared 
Jean,  offended.  "  I'll  give  up  whatever  Aunt 
Sarah  says  I  ought." 

"Good  little  girl,"  said  Aunt  Sarah,  approvingly. 
"  I  hope  you  will  not  have  to  give  up  much.  You 
younger  ones  can  always  take  the  clothes  of  the 


286  The  Four  Corners 

older  ones,  and  as  for  food  we  shall  not  be  able  to 
set  a  very  much  plainer  table  on  account  of  our 
boarders.  I  think  there  will  be  rice  pudding  enough 
for  every  one,  but  we'll  have  gingerbread  instead  of 
rich  cake,  and  eat  more  oatmeal  instead  of  so  many 
hot  griddle-cakes." 

"  I  suppose  they  do  take  a  crauntity  of  butter," 
sighed  Jean,  who  liked  griddle-cakes  above  all  things. 

"We'll  eat  'long  sweetening'  on  them,"  said 
Nan,  with  a  smile  at  the  recollection  of  the  Boggs's 
molasses  jug.  "  By  the  way,  I  never  thought  of 
Daniella's  chickens  and  her  little  pig.  They  killed 
the  big  pig,  and  there  is  quite  a  lot  of  meat  up 
there.  Some  one  will  have  to  go  up  there  after 
those  things." 

"  They  can  be  sold,"  said  Aunt  Sarah,  "  and  that 
will  help  out  their  expenses." 

"  Oh,  can't  we  keep  the  chickens  and  the  little 
pig  ?  Then  Daniella  won't  cost  us  anything  for 
eggs." 

"  But  the  chickens  will  cost  us  something  for 
food,"  argued  Miss  Sarah. 

"  Oh,  dear,  I  forgot  that  they  must  be  fed.  I  al- 
ways think  of  chickens  just  picking  and  scratching 
around  for  a  living,"  said  Nan.  "Well,  Aunt 
Sarah,  is  it  settled  ?  Do  we  keep  Daniella  here  or 
don't  we  ?  " 


Sacrifices  287 

"  If  you  all  are  willing  to  make  the  sacrifices,  we 
will  keep  her,  but  you  must  not  murmur.  I  want 
you  to  realize  what  it  means.  Now,  in  the  flush  of 
your  generous  spirit,  it  seems  easy,  but  after  a  while, 
when  your  coat  looks  shabby,  Nan,  and  your  best 
frock  is  too  short,  and  when  Mary  Lee  must  wear 
her  old  hat  and  Jack  must  be  satisfied  with  made- 
over  clothing,  and  rice-pudding  oftener,  when  Jean 
can't  have  griddle-cakes  swimming  in  butter,  and 
must  have  her  shoes  mended  and  remended,  it  may 
not  seem  so  easy.  My  own  inclination  is  always 
to  fling  wide  a  hospitable  door,  but  we  must  think 
of  what  is  due  to  your  mother  before  anything  else." 

The  four  children  were  silent.  They  realized  the 
truth  of  all  this.  At  last  Jack  spoke  up.  "  I  don't 
care;  I'd  just  as  soon  have  the  made-overs;  you 
don't  have  to  be  near  so  careful  of  them." 

"There  is  some  comfort  in  that,"  agreed  Nan. 
"Yes,  Aunt  Sarah,  we'll  do  it,  won't  we,  Mary 
Lee?" 

"I  will,  if  you  will." 

"Then  it's  settled,"  Nan  declared.  "Daniellais 
to  be  ours  till  further  notice.  Will  she  go  to 
school,  Aunt  Sarah  ?  She  doesn't  know  even  how 
to  read/" 

"We  can  see  about  that  later,"  Aunt  Sarah  told 
her. 


288  The  Four  Corners 

Later,  this  question  did  come  up,  for  when  the 
chickens  and  pig  were  domiciled  at  the  Corners'  and 
Daniella  had  become  used  to  her  surroundings,  she 
realized  that  if  she  would  be  like  the  rest  she  must 
know  much  more  than  she  did.  At  first  she  was 
like  some  little  wild  animal,  and  could  not  be  kept 
in  the  house,  saying  she  could  not  breathe  there. 
She  was  shy  of  every  one  but  Nan  and  Mary  Lee, 
and  fled  at  the  approach  of  strangers.  She  did  not 
know  how  to  wear  the  clothing  provided  for  her, 
nor  had  she  ever  been  inside  a  church.  Shops  were 
a  marvel  and  a  school  was  something  that  had  to  be 
elaborately  explained,  but  in  time  she  came  to  un- 
derstand that  she  was  unlike  the  rest  of  the  world 
and  that  if  she  would  be  in  it  she  must  be  of  it. 
Then  she  told  Nan  she  wanted  to  know  what  was 
inside  books,  and  she  would  go  to  school.  One 
day  of  the  routine  was  enough  for  her.  She  es- 
caped before  the  morning  was  half  over  to  Nan's 
mortification. 

"  You  ought  at  least  to  have  stayed  till  noon,"  she 
said,  chidingly. 

"I  couldn't,  I  couldn't,"  replied  Daniella  vehe- 
mently. "I  felt  like  a  wild  creetur  in  a  trap,  and 
them  gals  starin'  and  snickerin'  made  me  feel  like  a 
fool  thing.  I  ain't  goin'  to  set  alongside  o'  babies, 
an'  I  ain't  no  right  with  gals  my  own  size.  I  don't 


Sacrifices  289 

want  to  hev  nothin'  to  do  with  none  of  'em,  'scusin' 
you  an'  Mary  Lee.  If  1  never  Tarns  nothin',  I  ain't 
goin'  to  be  cooped  up  lak  a  po'  trapped  rabbit  or  a 
bird  in  a  cage.  I  don't  keer  if  I  don't  know  nothin'. 
Maw'll  love  me  jest  the  same." 

Nan  was  quite  distressed.  She  had  felt  a  real 
missionary  spirit  in  rescuing  Daniella  from  the  depths 
of  her  ignorance.  She  dreamed  of  the  day  when 
she  should  be  proud  of  her,  when  pretty  little 
Daniella  would  appear  as  well  as  any  girl,  but  now 
her  hopes  were  blasted.  She  thought  long  upon  the 
subject.  She  discussed  it  with  her  sisters,  with  her 
Aunt  Sarah,  with  Cousin  Polly  and  Cousin  Mag  but 
no  one  could  seem  to  offer  a  solution  to  the  problem. 
It  was  cruel,  every  one  thought,  to  send  a  girl  to 
school  who  felt  so  keenly  about  it.  Why  make  her 
miserable  for  the  short  time  she  was  living  in  a 
civilized  community  ?  After  a  while  she  would 
have  to  return  to  her  wild  life,  then  where  would  be 
the  good  of  having  made  her  unhappy  ? 

But  Nan  felt  differently  about  it.  She  had  a 
scheme  of  teaching  Daniella  herself,  but  the  moun- 
tain girl  spurned  it,  and  said  she  wasn't  goin'  to  hav 
no  gal  her  own  size  1'arnin'  her,  though  if  the  truth 
wer«  known,  she  really  did  not  want  to  give  Nan 
the  task.  So  at  last  Nan  took  her  difficulty  to  her 
Aunt  Helen,  and  here  she  found  a  friend  in  need, 


290  The  Four  Corners 

for  Miss  Helen  declared  that  nothing  would  interest 
her  more  than  to  teach  Daniella  for  an  hour  or  two 
a  day. 

"She  is  like  a  blank,  unwritten  page,"  she  said. 
"  And  I'd  like  the  experience  of  putting  my  mark 
upon  her.  I  should  like  to  try  some  of  my  own 
theories.  You  say  she  is  bright,  Nan  ?" 

"  Real  bright.  Not  like  schooly  brightness,  but 
in  a  queer  way,  that  shows  she  thinks  a  lot  more 
than  you  suppose." 

"  So  much  the  better.  I  can  try  to  bring  out  what 
is  in  her,  by  my  own  methods." 

Then  Nan,  by  coaxing  and  arguing  induced 
Daniella  to  try  the  experiment  of  going  to  Uplands 
for  an  hour  each  day,  and  after  her  very  first  trial  it 
seemed  that  Miss  Helen  had  solved  the  problem, 
and  that  Daniella's  education  had  fairly  begun. 


CHAPTER  XVI 
PARTY  FROCKS 


CHAPTER  XVI 
PARTY  FROCKS 

THANKSGIVING  DAY  went  by  quietly ;  there  was  lit- 
tle made  of  it  here  in  Virginia,  and  the  girls  would 
scarcely  have  remembered  it  if  their  mother  had  not 
written  asking  each  one  to  tell  her  what  she  was 
most  thankful  for.  The  answers  were  very  charac- 
teristic. 

Jean  wrote:  "I  am  thankful  that  the  wildcat 
didn't  get  Phil  and  Mary  Lee,  and  that  Daniella  is 
here.  I  am  thankful  that  her  mother  and  my 
mother  are  both  getting  better." 

Jack  wrote:  "  I  am  thankful  that  I  don't  like  rice 
pudding  and  that  I  do  like  molasses  on  my  batter 
cakes.  I  am  thankful  that  old  clothes  don't  last  as 
long  as  new  ones,  and  that  people  don't  make  such 
a  fuss  when  you  get  spots  on  them  or  tear  them. 
I  am  thankful  I  don't  get  into  quite  so  many  scrapes 
in  winter  as  I  do  in  summer." 

Mary  Lee's  thankfulness  was  expressed  in  these 
words:  "I  am  thankful  that  little  wild  creatures 
have  warm  holes  and  nests  to  creep  into.  I  am 
thankful  that  birds  can  fly  south  where  it  is  warm. 


294  The  Four  Corners 

I  am  thankful  we  have  enough  to  eat  and  to  keep 
us  comfortable,  and  I  am  thankful  we  do  not  have 
to  live  in  a  little  cabin  on  the  mountain,  and  dear 
mother,  I  am  very  thankful  you  are  getting  better." 

Said  Nan:  "I  am  thankful,  you  dearest  of 
mothers,  for  so  many  things  I  don't  know  how  to 
choose,  but  first  and  foremost  I  am  thankful  for 
you.  I  might  as  well  say,  too,  that  I  am  thankful 
for  all  my  kinsfolk,  for  1  am  even  thankful  now  for 
Aunt  Sarah,  since  I  had  to  cook  that  supper  for  the 
boys  and  since  she  nursed  me  so  patiently  when  I 
broke  my  arm.  I  certainly  am  thankful  for  Aunt 
Helen.  She  is  such  a  dear.  You  know  she  is 
teaching  Daniella,  and,  yes,  I  am  thankful  for 
grandmother,  if  she  is  cranky.  I  am  thankful  for 
the  whole  world,  for  music,  for  books,  for  pictures, 
for  trees  and  flowers  and  sky,  and  even  the  snow 
on  the  ground.  It  looks  so  perfectly  pure  and  clean 
and  makes  me  think  of  white  souls.  I  am  thankful 
for  all  these  things,  but  oh,  mother,  1  shall  be  thank- 
fuller,  thankfullest  when  you  get  home." 

Though  the  letters  eased  the  mother's  loneliness, 
they  brought  a  rain  of  tears  to  her  eyes,  and  filled 
her  with  longing  to  see  her  four  girls.  "  They  are 
so  like  them,"  she  murmured.  "Each  one  has 
written  herself  so  plainly." 

Daniella's  becoming  a  part  of  the  household  made 


Party  Frocks  295 

less  of  a  change  than  the  girls  had  expected,  for 
Aunt  Sarah  managed  well,  and  spread  out  her 
economies  so  that  they  covered  all  meals  very 
slightly,  and  the  extras  were  little  missed.  When 
one  has  rice  pudding  once  a  week  instead  of  once  in 
ten  days,  or  when  griddle-cakes  are  served  only  on 
Saturdays  instead  of  Wednesdays  and  Saturdays,  it 
really  makes  little  difference. 

However  a  time  did  come  when  the  sacrifice 
loomed  up  more  largely  and  for  a  time  there  were 
four  rather  unhappy  little  girls.  It  was  just  after  a 
neat  maid  left  at  the  door  four  small  white  envelopes 
which,  when  opened,  were  discovered  to  be  invita- 
tions to  a  party  given  by  Betty  Wise,  a  little  girl 
who  was  not  an  intimate  acquaintance,  but  whom 
each  of  the  four  Corners  admired  greatly.  Betty 
lived  in  such  a  beautiful  old  house,  two  hundred 
years  old,  and  was  considered  to  belong  to  one  of 
the  best  families  in  the  county.  The  grounds  around 
the  house  were  always  in  beautiful  order;  Betty  her- 
self was  the  most  daintily  clad  of  little  maidens, 
and  in  church  the  four  girls  who  sat  in  a  row  in  the 
pew  behind  her  gave  many  a  thought  to  Betty 
Wise's  pretty  hats,  handsome  coats,  and  the 
delicate  ribbons  she  always  wore  on  her  hair.  To 
be  invited  to  Judge  Wise's  house  was  an  honor  not 
to  be  underrated  and  the  four  Corners  clutched 


296  The  Four  Corners 

their  envelopes  and  looked  at  each  other  with  shin- 
ing eyes. 

"Isn't  it  splendid?"  said  Nan.  "A  real  sure 
enough  party.  I  expect  it  will  be  perfectly  beauti- 
ful. It  was  so  perfectly  lovely  of  Betty  to  invite  all 
four  of  us." 

"It  certainly  was  lovely,"  sighed  Mary  Lee, 
"but,  Nan,  what  are  we  going  to  wear?" 

Nan's  face  fell.  What  indeed  ?  She  hastily  made 
an  inventory  of  her  last  summer's  white  frocks. 
Not  one  that  would  do.  "  We  can  manage  some- 
thing for  Jack  and  Jean,  I  am  sure,"  she  said, 
"  though  there  isn't  one  of  us  has  a  decent  sash,  and 
as  for  slippers,  Jean  is  the  only  one  who  has  a  pair 
that  will  do." 

Deep  gloom  fell  upon  the  little  group.  The 
silence  was  broken  by  Mary  Lee.  "We  can't  ask 
Aunt  Sarah,  for  we  promised  that  we  would  not 
have  a  single  thing  new  this  winter  if  she  would  let 
us  have  Daniella.  I  almost  wish  we  had  never  gone 
up  that  old  mountain." 

"Oh,  don't  say  that,  Mary  Lee,"  said  Nan. 
"Just  think  what  would  have  become  of  Daniella  if 
we  hadn't  gone.  She  might  have  perished  by  this 
time." 

"  Oh,  of  course,  I  don't  exactly  mean  that,  but  I 
wish,  I  almost  wish,  we  had  not  insisted  upon  keep- 


Party  Frocks  297 

ing  her  here."  It  was  so  nearly  the  actual  wish  at 
that  moment  of  the  other  three  that  no  one  said  a 
word. 

After  a  pause,  Nan  drew  a  long  sigh.  "Well," 
she  said,  "you  and  I  can't  possibly  go,  but  perhaps 
we  can  fix  up  the  twins.  Jean  is  all  right  and  there 
is  a  frock  of  yours  that  would  do  on  a  pinch  for 
Jack  if  we  can  manage  slippers.  We  can  look  over 
the  stock.  She  may  have  grown  up  to  some  of  our 
castaways,  and  even  if  we  should  find  a  pair  a  little 
too  large,  we  can  stuff  cotton  in  the  toes.  As  for 
sashes  we'll  have  to  look  over  everything  and  see 
what  we  come  across." 

"  I  don't  want  to  go  if  you  don't,  so  there,"  said 
Jack. 

"  Neither  do  I,"  chimed  in  Jean. 

"Oh,  but  some  of  us  must  go.  We  couldn't  be 
so  rude  as  to  decline  for  all  four  of  us,"  said  Nan. 
"  Besides,  I  shall  want  to  hear  all  about  it  even  if  I 
can't  go.  It  is  ten  days  off  so  I  am  not  going  to  de- 
cline till  I  have  to." 

"  I  suppose  there  is  no  use  in  saying  anything  to 
Aunt  Sarah  about  it,"  said  Mary  Lee  with  a  glimmer 
of  hope. 

Nan  shook  her  head.  "  No,  we  must  not  act  as 
if  we  were  trying  to  slide  out  of  our  promise. 
I  was  just  thinking  that  perhaps  Cousin  Polly  could 


298  The  Four  Corners 

lend  us  one  or  two  sashes,  and  perhaps  a  pair  of 
slippers;  she  has  such  little  feet,  but  she  couldn't 
provide  for  all  of  us.  She  is  generous  enough  but 
she  hasn't  enough  to  go  around." 

"  She  could  let  us  have  two  pairs  of  slippers  if  she 
were  a  craudruped,"  said  Jean. 

"You'd  better  tell  her  that,"  said  Nan,  laughing. 

"  Invitations  came  for  Ran  and  Ashby,  too,"  Mary 
Lee  remarked,  "and  I  suppose  Phil  has  one." 
Deeper  gloom  fell  upon  the  group  especially  when 
Nan  said  solemnly  :  "And  the  boys  will  have  to 
know  why  we  can't  go." 

For  the  next  two  or  three  days,  the  girls  avoided 
the  subject  of  the  party  when  those  of  their  school- 
mates who  had  received  invitations  spoke  of  it. 
Neither  was  it  mentioned  in  the  presence  of  the 
boys.  Once  in  a  while  one  or  the  other  of  the  four 
sisters  made  to  the  rest  some  tragic  statement  such 
as:  "  Flossy  Garrett  is  going  to  wear  white  China 
silk."  "  Lizzie  Carter  has  a  new  Roman  sash,"  or 
"Nell  Page's  sister  is  going  to  lend  her  a  lovely 
locket  and  chain."  Deep  sighs  and  mournful  coun- 
tenances always  attended  these  statements. 

With  a  feeling  of  proud  reserve,  Nan  never  re- 
ferred to  the  party  when  talking  to  her  Aunt  Helen. 
Not  for  worlds  would  she  so  much  as  hint  that  she 
might  go  if  properly  costumed;  not  when  that 


Party  Frocks  299 

store  of  pretty  things  still  lay  untouched  and  unbe- 
stowed. 

Jack,  however,  had  no  such  scruples,  and  with  a 
distinct  purpose  and  a  defiant  front,  she  went  one 
afternoon  to  Uplands.  Seating  herself  directly  in 
front  of  her  grandmother  she  observed  her  solemnly 
and  thoughtfully. 

"You  seem  to  be  in  a  brown  study  this  after- 
noon, Jack,"  said  Mrs.  Corner.  "What  are  you 
thinking  about?" 

Jack  gave  a  long  sigh.  "  I  was  thinking  how  nice 
it  would  be  if  there  were  really  fairies  or  if  there 
were  really  enchanted  lamps  and  things  like  Nan 
loves  to  talk  about.  Anyhow,  I  wish  we  could 
sometimes  change  places  with  people." 

"And  with  whom  would  you  change  places?" 
asked  her  grandmother,  ready  to  encourage  her  to 
talk. 

"With  you,"  returned  Jack. 

"  With  me  ?  "  Mrs.  Corner  looked  perfectly  as- 
tounded, then  she  sighed.  "You'd  soon  want  to 
change  back  again,  little  Jack." 

"  Oh,  I  know  that.  I  shouldn't  care  to  be  a 
grandmother  for  more  than  an  hour." 

"But  why  wish  to  be  a  grandmother  at  all?" 
Mrs.  Corner's  curiosity  was  aroused.  She  wondered 
what  the  little  girl's  fancy  could  be.  "  Do  listen  to 


300  The  Four  Corners 

the  child,  Helen,"  she  said.  "She  would  like  to  be 
her  own  grandmother." 

"Oh,  I'd  like  to  be  Nan's  and  Mary  Lee's  and 
Jean's,  too,"  Jack  told  her. 

"But  why?" 

"  If  I  were  a  grandmother  and  had  four  nice  little 
girl  grandchildren,"  Jack  went  on,  "I'd  do  some- 
thing or  other  so  they  could  go  to  the  party  at  Judge 
Wise's." 

"  And  why  can't  they  go  ?  What's  to  prevent  ?" 
Mrs.  Corner  asked. 

"  No  frocks,  no  sashes,  no  slippers,  no  money  to 
buy  them  with,"  said  Jack,  and  having  delivered 
herself  of  this  laconic  confession,  she  faced  her 
grandmother  with  a  set  expression  of  countenance. 
The  worst  was  said. 

Mrs.  Corner's  delicate  fingers  trembled  in  the 
wool  she  was  crocheting. 

"Who  is  giving  the  party?"  said  Miss  Helen 
gently.  "Tell  me  all  about  it,  Jack." 

"It's  to  be  at  Judge  Wise's.  Betty  is  going  to 
have  it  and  it  certainly  will  be  fine.  Maybe  Jean 
and  I  can  go  if  Cousin  Polly's  slippers  will  fit  and 
she  will  lend  us  two  sashes,  but  Nan  says  she  and 
Mary  Lee  are  just  obliged  and  compelled  to  stay  at 
home  because  they  wouldn't  be  seen  in  dowdy  old 
frocks  and  old  high  shoes." 


Party  Frocks  301 

A  little  pink  flush  burned  on  Mrs.  Corner's  cheeks. 
"  Mary  Lee  has  never  been  near  her  grandmother," 
she  said.  "You  could  hardly  expect  me  to  forget 
that." 

"I  wasn't  saying  anything  about  your  doing 
things,"  said  Jack  ingenuously.  "  I  was  only  say- 
ing what  I  would  do  if  I  were  a  grandmother  and 
had  lovely  things  put  away,  and  had  granddaughters 
just  crazy  to  go  to  a  party.  I  shouldn't  mind  when 
three  of  them  had  been  polite  if  one  wouldn't  be, 
and  I  don't  see  why  they  all  would  have  to  be  done 
mean  on  account  of  one." 

Jack  sat  thoughtfully  considering  the  matter.  "  I 
reckon,"  she  said,  "  Mary  Lee  is  something  like  you. 
She  wouldn't  come  here  unless  you  specially  asked 
her,  and  you  wouldn't  go  to  see  her  unless  she 
specially  asked  you.  If  mother  were  at  home  she 
would  do  something,  'cause  mother  can  do  any- 
thing; she  is  as  near  a  fairy  that  way  as  any  one 
can  be,  but  you  know  mother  isn't  here,  and  we 
can't  do  things  ourselves  and  Aunt  Sarah  won't. 
You  know,"  she  added,  "it's  all  on  account  of 
Daniella.  We  promised  Aunt  Sarah  if  she  let  us 
keep  Daniella  at  our  house,  we  wouldn't  ask  for 
anything  new  this  winter,  and  we  would  wear  our 
old  clothes.  So,  of  course,  when  we  promised,  we 
can't  change  our  minds." 


302  The  Four  Corners 

"Why  did  your  aunt  exact  such  a  promise  from 
you  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Corner,  a  little  haughtily. 

"Oh,  because  she  couldn't  afford  to  have  her  un- 
less we  did.  Mother  needs  all  the  boys'  board 
money,  and  Aunt  Sarah  does  as  well  as  she  can, 
Nan  says.  We  have  rice  pudding  only  once  a  week 
and  that  really  isn't  very  often." 

"Miss  Dent  is  a  wonderfully  self-sacrificing 
woman,"  said  Miss  Helen  in  a  low  voice.  "It  is 
entirely  due  to  her  willingness  to  take  charge  of  six 
children  that  Mary  is  able  to  stay  at  Saranac." 

Mrs.  Corner's  fingers  shook  even  more  as  she 
fingered  the  wool.  Presently  she  burst  out  passion- 
ately: "I  suppose  I  am  an  obdurate  old  woman  to 
let  one  little  child's  indifference  prevent  me  from 
giving  happiness  to  my  other  grandchildren,  but  I  am 
made  so,  Helen;  I  can't  help  it.  I  have  yielded  in 
many  directions.  I  have  accepted  the  other  three 
when  I  said  I  never  would,  and  I  shall  meet  their 
mother  half  way  if  she  ever  allows  me."  She  burst 
into  a  fit  of  nervous  sobbing,  and  Jack,  scared  and 
awed,  slipped  away,  feeling  that  she  had  made 
matters  even  worse. 

She  made  no  mention  to  her  sisters  of  her  visit  to 
Uplands  that  day,  but  it  had  its  effect,  as  was  shown 
the  next  morning  when  a  man  left  at  the  house 
a  small  trunk  addressed  to  Nan,  When  the  girls 


Party  Frocks  303 

came  home  from  school,  it  stood  in  the  big  room 
they  occupied.  They  gathered  around  it  in  aston- 
ishment. "Where  did  it  come  from?  Who 
brought  it?  What's  in  it?  Who  sent  it?"  The 
questions  came  thick  and  fast.  A  key  hung  by  a 
string  to  the  handle.  Nan  jerked  it  off  fumbling  at 
the  lock  in  her  eagerness.  "Do  hurry,  Nan,"  cried 
Jack,  impatiently. 

"I  am  hurrying,"  returned  Nan,  "and  that  is  just 
what's  the  matter."  The  lock  at  last  yielded  and 
Nan  raised  the  lid  amid  breathless  silence.  Over  the 
tray  lay  a  white  cloth  ;  upon  this  a  note  was  pinned. 
Nan  opened  it  and  read  it  aloud.  It  was  from  her 
Aunt  Helen. 

"Dear  Nan,"  it  read,,  "mother  sends  you  the 
gifts  which  she  regrets  having  withheld  from  you 
so  long.  She  really  meant  to  send  them  at  Christ- 
mas, but  you  will  not  mind  if  they  come  earlier. 
She  wishes  you  to  use  your  own  judgment  in  dis- 
posing of  them  and  makes  but  one  proviso,  and 
that  is  that  you  will  all  come  over  to  Uplands  and 
show  yourselves  in  your  party  costumes." 

The  all  was  underscored.  Nan  looked  at  Mary 
Lee.  "  I'll  go,"  said  Mary  Lee  shortly. 

It  was  a  small  concession  to  make,  she  considered, 
when  the  contents  of  the  trunk  were  displayed  and  all 
the  dainty  fabrics  were  examined.  Such  an  oh-ing 


304  The  Four  Corners 

and  ah-ing  as  came  from  the  four  delighted  girls 
brought  Aunt  Sarah  from  her  room,  and  to  her  the 
whole  story  was  told.  She  made  but  few  remarks 
but  it  was  evident  that  she  was  pleased,  and  shetook 
almost  as  great  an  interest  in  the  pretty  things  as  the 
girls  themselves.  At  the  very  bottom  of  the  trunk 
were  two  boxes,  one  marked  Nan,  the  other  Jack. 
One  slip  of  paper  read:  "To  my  granddaughter 
Nancy  Weston  in  recognition  of  her  sweet  spirit  of 
forgiveness."  The  other  read:  "To  brave  little 
Jack  who  reminded  her  grandmother  of  her  duty." 

"  What  have  you  been  doing,  Jack  ?  "  asked  Nan, 
before  she  removed  the  lid  of  her  box. 

"Nothing,"  replied  Jack  in  an  injured  tone,  "ex- 
cept to  tell  her  what  I  would  do  if  I  were  a  grand- 
mother to  four  nice  little  girls." 

"  Oh,  Jack,  Jack,"  laughed  Nan,  shaking  her  head 
while  her  fingers  eagerly  removed  the  soft  cotton 
which  lay  on  the  top  of  the  box.  Then  she  breathed 
a  delighted  "Oh!"  as  she  held  up  to  view  a  long 
delicate  chain  of  exquisite  pink  corals.  A  squeal 
from  Jack  revealed  the  fact  that  she  had  reached 
her  gift  which  proved  to  be  a  slender  gold  chain 
with  a  pendant  heart  of  gold  set  with  turquoises. 

Jack  speedily  clasped  it  around  her  neck.  The 
chain  was  just  long  enough  for  her  to  be  able  to 
see  the  little  heart  as  it  lay  against  her  breast.  "1 


I 


u 


O  R 

5S 

ss 


K 

O 


x 

o 

CO 


Party  Frocks  305 

never,  never  believed  I  should  ever  have  anything 
so  dear,"  she  exclaimed.  Then  she  turned  and 
caught  her  twin  sister's  hand.  "  But  I  won't  wear 
it,"  she  said,  "unless  you  have  something,  too." 

This  something,  too,  was  settled  upon  later  when 
among  the  strands  of  Venetian  beads  was  found  a 
string  of  glistening,  opalescent  ones  which  won 
Jean's  heart.  Mary  Lee's  desires  went  out  toward  a 
similar  string  of  blue  and  silver.  As  was  natural 
with  children,  the  ornaments  were  the  first  things 
they  decided  upon,  and  then  they  picked  out  their 
frocks,  Aunt  Sarah  helping  them.  Nan  chose  a  soft, 
silky,  creamy  fabric  daintily  embroidered.  Mary 
Lee  selected  a  blue  of  similar  material.  For  the 
twins  it  was  decided  that  pure  white  would  be  best. 
There  were  ribbons  and  sashes  enough  for  all,  and, 
to  cap  the  climax,  there  were  several  pairs  of  silk 
stockings. 

Nan  rocked  back  and  forth  in  ecstasy  as  she  sat 
on  the  floor  surrounded  by  the  stuffs.  "It's  like  a 
dream,"  she  said.  "I  can't  believe  I  am  awake. 
Oh,  I  want  to  tell  mother  right  away.  I  feel  just 
like  a  fairy,  I  am  so  light." 

"How  are  we  to  get  the  things  made?"  said 
Mary  Lee,  bringing  her  sister  suddenly  down  to 
earth. 

"Oh,  dear,  I  hadn't  thought  of  that.     Cousin 


306  The  Four  Corners 

Polly  will  help  us,  I  know,  and  so  will  Aunt  Sarah, 
and  we  can  do  a  lot  ourselves,  like  pulling  out 
bastings,  and  I  can  stitch  on  the  machine  as  well  as 
the  next." 

"  We  must  go  right  over  to  Cousin  Polly's,  then. 
There  isn't  a  minute  to  lose." 

"  You  go,"  said  Nan,  "  and  bring  her  over  here. 
She  will  be  ever  so  much  more  interested  if  she  sees 
everything  and  I'll  leave  them  all  out  till  she  comes.' 

Not  only  did  Cousin  Polly  come,  but  Cousin  Mag 
thought  she  must  see  the  glories  of  the  trunkful  of 
pretty  things.  Their  enthusiasm  was  all  that  the 
girls  could  wish,  and  after  ribbons  and  laces,  trin- 
kets and  treasures  were  thoroughly  examined,  there 
was  grave  discussion  as  to  the  best  way  to  make  up 
the  stuffs,  Aunt  Sarah  entering  into  it  as  heartily  as 
any  one.  Cousin  Polly  volunteered  to  make  Nan's 
frock;  Cousin  Mag  said  she  would  undertake  Mary 
Lee's.  Aunt  Sarah  thought  she  could  accomplish 
one  of  the  others. 

"  And  I  am  sure  Belle  Brockenborough  will  love 
to  do  the  other,"  said  Polly.  "She  hasn't  a  thing 
on  earth  to  do.  I'll  ask  her  to  come  and  stay  a 
week  with  me  and  we  can  sew  and  chatter  and 
have  a  good  time.  Anybody  would  love  to  work 
on  such  beautiful  goods  as  these." 

"  Oh,  you  dear,"  cried  Nan.     "  I  just  knew  if 


Party  Frocks  307 

anybody  could  help  us,  it  would  be  Cousin  Polly. 
Aren't  we  beautifully  supplied  with  everything  ?  " 

"  All  but  slippers,"  came  from  Mary  Lee. 

"Oh,  I  forgot  slippers.  I  wish  we  could  go  in 
our  stocking  feet  and  show  off  our  silk  stock- 
ings." 

"  We'll  manage  slippers  somehow,"  said  Polly. 
"  I  am  sure  you  can  wear  mine." 

"  But  you  have  such  little  feet,"  said  Nan. 

"So  have  you,  and  I  have  one  pair  a  little  too 
large  for  me,  that  you  are  quite  welcome  to  if  the 
others  are  too  small." 

In  due  course  of  time,  all  were  provided  for. 
The  "  little  too  large  "  pair  of  slippers  exactly  fitted 
Nan.  Jean's  would  do  very  well  as  they  were.  A 
pair  of  Mary  Lee's  which  she  had  grown  out  of  it 
was  found  Jack  had  grown  into,  and  for  Mary 
Lee,  Nan's  ingenuity  at  last  came  to  the  rescue,  for 
a  pair  of  discolored  white  kid  slippers  which  had 
once  been  her  mother's,  Nan  suggested  should  be 
painted  blue  to  match  her  sister's  frock. 

The  boys  wondered  at  the  sudden  interest  taken 
in  Betty  Wise's  party,  for  nothing  else  was  talked 
of  for  a  week.  "  You  didn't  say  a  word  about  it 
at  first,"  said  Ran.  "  What  makes  you  all  so  wild 
about  it  all  of  a  sudden  ?  " 

"Oh,  we  didn't  know  what  we  were  going  to 


308  The  Four  Corners 

wear,"  Nan  remarked  nonchalantly,  and  the  others 
giggled. 

However,  they  could  not  keep  the  presents  a 
secret,  as  Phil  knew  about  them,  and  finally  Nan 
told  Ran  the  whole  story,  ending  with:  "We're 
just  like  girls  in  a  book,  aren't  we  ?  " 

"You're  the  nicest  girl  in  a  book  or  out  of  it," 
returned  Ran,  gallantly.  "  I'm  going  to  the  party 
with  you,  Nan,  and  I  want  you  to  dance  with  me  a 
lot." 

"All  right,"  said  Nan,  delighted  at  the  compli- 
ment and  pleased  at  the  thought  that  she  and  her 
sisters  would  not  be  outdone  by  any  of  the  girls  in 
matters  of  dress  or  attention. 

The  last  stitch  was  set  the  day  before  the  party, 
and  in  full  regalia  the  four  sisters  went  to  display 
themselves  to  their  grandmother.  There  was  a 
little  embarrassment  as  Mary  Lee  came  forward  and 
Nan  said:  "  This  is  Mary  Lee,  grandmother." 

But  Mary  Lee,  full  of  a  realizing  sense  of  her 
grandmother's  generosity  and  completely  happy  in 
her  pretty  clothes,  smiled  sweetly  and  said:  "  I  am 
very  glad  to  see  you,  grandmother.  You  were  very 
kind  to  send  us  all  those  lovely  things." 

Mrs.  Corner  responded  quite  graciously.  She  was 
proud  and  pleased  when  she  viewed  the  four  "  nice 
little  girls  "  who  certainly  did  her  credit  and  whose 


Party  Frocks  309 

delight  in  her  gifts  was  so  very  obvious.  Their 
appreciation  and  pleasure  gave  her  a  warm  glow  of 
satisfaction,  and  she  was  never  more  delightfully 
entertaining.  To  add  to  the  success  of  their  visit, 
Miss  Helen  took  a  photograph  of  each  one,  promis- 
ing them  prints  to  send  to  their  mother. 

The  party  was  all  that  their  fancy  had  painted. 
Not  any  one  was  better  dressed  than  the  Corners. 
No  one  had  a  better  time.  Betty  made  a  charming 
hostess;  the  great  old  house  was  a  bower  of 
beauty;  the  music  was  inspiring,  the  refreshments 
delicious  and  prettily  served. 

"  It  was  the  very  grandest  party  I  ever  dreamed 
of,"  said  Nan  at  breakfast,  and  all  agreed  with  her, 
even  Ran  who  had  been  to  more  parties  than  the 
rest  and  was  supposed  to  know. 

Although  the  girls,  in  after  years,  went  to  many 
more  sumptuous  and  brilliant  entertainments,  all 
their  lives  long  they  looked  back  upon  Betty  Wise's 
party  as  the  one  which  stood  out  from  all  the  rest. 
"There  was  just  one  thing  wanting,"  sighed  Nan 
to  her  Aunt  Helen.  "  If  only  mother  could  have 
seen  us,  I  should  have  been  perfectly  happy.  What 
in  the  world  shall  we  do  without  her  at  Christmas  ?" 


CHAPTER  XVII 
CHRISTMAS  GIFTS 


CHAPTER  XVII 
CHRISTMAS  GIFTS 

A  NEW  world  had  opened  to  Daniella  Boggs. 
Every  day  of  her  stay  with  the  Corners  some 
strange  and  surprising  fact  became  known  to  her. 
The  girls  were  a  revelation  in  themselves,  and  their 
appearance  when  they  were  dressed  for  the  party 
gave  her  a  glimpse  into  scenes  of  which  she  had 
never  even  dreamed.  She  was  taught  more  than 
words  and  figures  by  Miss  Helen,  and  her  young 
mind  was  daily  expanding,  so  that  she  became 
more  and  more  interesting  to  her  teacher  as  well  as 
her  friends.  Mrs.  Boggs  was  slowly  recovering 
from  her  hurts,  and  the  doctor  thought  in  a  few 
weeks  she  would  be  able  to  leave  the  hospital.  Old 
Daniel  Boggs,  however,  failed  visibly.  Just  what 
his  daughter-in-law  would  do  in  the  event  of  his 
death  gave  every  one  concern.  It  was  learned  that 
Mrs.  Boggs  had  a  brother  in  Texas  and  to  him 
Colonel  Lewis  had  written.  All  Daniella's  friends 
were  interested  to  know  what  answer  would  be 
made  to  this  letter. 

"Christmas  is  very  near,"  said  Nan  the  Saturday 
after  the  party.  "  We  shall  have  to  make  every- 


314  The  Four  Corners 

thing  this  year,  but  fortunately  there  are  plenty  of 
materials  yet  in  grandmother's  trunk." 

"And  there  are  the  photographs,"  said  Mary 
Lee. 

"  Yes,  and  I  mean  to  frame  those,"  Nan  told  her. 
"  That  can  be  my  Christmas  gift  to  mother.  You 
sew  so  nicely,  Mary  Lee,  you  can  make  her  a  set  of 
collars  and  cuffs." 

"And  what  shall  I  make  ?"  asked  Jean. 

"  Why,  kitty,  let  me  see.  You  can  make  a 
pretty  little  work-bag.  It  will  be  easy  to  make 
and  there's  a  lovely  piece  of  silk  in  the  trunk." 

Jack  was  sitting  with  folded  hands  thinking 
deeply.  After  a  while  she  drew  a  long  breath  of 
relief.  "I'm  going  to  give  her  my  locket  and 
chain,"  she  announced. 

"Why,  ducky  dear,"  said  Nan.  "She  couldn't 
wear  it  for  it  would  be  too  small  for  her,  and,  be- 
sides, one  shouldn't  give  away  a  particular  present 
like  that." 

"But  it's  the  prettiest  thing  I've  got,"  persisted 
Jack,  "and  she  can  look  at  it,  anyhow." 

"But  mother  wouldn't  want  you  to  give  it  to 
her,"  Nan  went  on.  "She'd  much  rather  you'd 
make  something  for  her.  Let  me  see — suppose  you 
make  a— — " 

"I  don't  think  I'll  make  anything,"  interrupted 


Christmas  Gifts  315 

Jack.  "  If  I  can't  send  her  the  chain  I'll  send  her  my 
silk  stockings." 

"You  ridiculous  child!  What  on  earth  could 
mother  do  with  them  ?  " 

"  She  could  look  at  them." 

"You're  a  goosey  goose,"  said  Nan,  affection- 
ately, drawing  Jack  to  her.  "You  must  give  her 
something  appropriate,  not  anything  like  that.  Oh, 
I  know  what  you  can  do.  It  will  be  fine.  I  almost 
wish  I  had  thought  of  it  for  myself.  You  can  give 
her  one  of  those  calendars  like  Aunt  Helen  has.  It 
will  be  just  the  thing.  All  you  have  to  do  is  to  get 
three  hundred  and  sixty-five  sheets  of  paper  and 
take  a  certain  number  to  each  person  whom  you 
select;  then  the  person  writes  a  verse,  or  a  selection 
or  a — a — thought  and  signs  her  name.  You  tie 
them  all  together  and  put  a  cover  on  and  it  makes 
the  nicest  thing  in  the  world  for  any  one  away  from 
her  friends/' 

"Where  shall  I  get  the  paper  ?"  said  Jack. 

Nan  had  not  thought  of  this  part.  "Why,  I 
think  maybe  there  is  some  in  one  of  the  boxes  in 
the  attic,"  she  said  reflectively;  "I  will  look." 

The  idea  of  a  calendar  pleased  Jack.  The  taking 
around  of  the  slips  was  just  what  she  would  like  to 
do.  "What  shall  we  have  on  the  cover?"  she 
asked  presently. 


316  The  Four  Corners 

Nan's  ingenuity  again  came  to  fill  the  breach.  ' '  A 
photograph  of  this  house  would  be  fine.  Ran  took 
a  real  good  one,  and  I  know  he'd  be  glad  to  give  a 
print  for  the  calendar.  Now  we  have  got  to  plan 
for  everybody  else;  there  are  so  many  this  year." 

"There  is  Aunt  Sarah,"  said  Jean. 

"And  Daniella,"  put  in  Mary  Lee. 

"  And  Mrs.  Boggs,"  Jack  reminded  them. 

"  And  the  boys."    Jean  mentioned  these. 

"  And  Cousin  Polly,"  added  Nan.  "She  was  so 
lovely  about  the  party  frocks  that  we  ought  to  give 
her  something  very  nice." 

"Miss  Belle  Brockenborough  was,  too,"  said 
Jean. 

"Of  course,  we  must  remember  her  and  Cousin 
Mag.  Do  you  suppose  we'd  better  make  something 
for  grandmother  and  Aunt  Helen  ?  "  Nan  asked  with 
an  air  of  gravity. 

"Not  from  the  things  they  sent,"  said  Mary  Lee. 

"No,  but  we  could  make  some  little  things;  we 
must  do  it.  Then  there  is  Unc'  Landy  and  Mitty 
besides  the  Sunday-school  teachers  and " 

"  Miss  Lawrence,"  put  in  Jean. 

Jack  made  a  face  at  this  last  suggestion,, 

"Now,  Jack,"  Nan  reproved  her. 

"If  she  hadn't  such  big  ears,  I  wouldn't  mind  so 
much,"  said  Jack,  "  but  they  stick  out  so  and  she 


Christmas  Gifts  317 

has  a  way  with  her  mouth  that  always  makes  me 
mad." 

"  Never  mind;  she  is  very  good  to  you  and  has 
stood  much  more  than  most  teachers  would.  I'll 
tell  you  what,  Mary  Lee,  we'll  make  a  lot  of 
panuchee  and  take  a  box  to  each  of  the  teachers. 
Every  one  says  our  black  walnut  panuchee  is  the  best 
they  ever  ate." 

"Miss  Lawrence  asked  me  for  the  recipe,"  said 
Mary  Lee;  "  I  hope  I  got  it  just  right:  a  pound  and  a 
half  of  brown  sugar,  three  quarters  of  a  cup  of  milk, 
about  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  butter,  and  a  lot  of 
chopped  nuts.  Melt  the  sugar  and  milk;  let  it  boil 
twenty  minutes,  add  the  butter  and  nuts,  beat  for 
about  five  minutes  till  it  gets  real  sugary  and  then 
pour  in  pans  or  make  it  into  little  cakes  by  drop- 
ping from  a  spoon.  Is  that  right  ?  " 

"That  is  it,"  Nan  told  her.  "  We  might  make 
two  or  three  kinds.  I  like  peanut  myself." 

"Now  have  we  thought  of  everybody  ?"  asked 
Mary  Lee. 

"  We  haven't  thought  of  each  other,"  said  Jack. 

Nan  laughed.  "That  makes  three  more  apiece. 
How  they  do  count  up.  We  can  leave  one  another 
till  the  last  minute  because  we  are  right  in  the 
house.  What  shall  you  give  Daniella,  Mary  Lee  ?  " 

"  I  thought  maybe  we  could  find  a  hair  ribbon  in 


318  The  Four  Corners 

the  trunk.  She  has  never  had  one  and  thinks  they 
are  so  fine.  They  cost  too  much  when  you  have  to 
buy  them." 

Nan  approved  of  this.  "  I  want  to  give  her  some- 
thing real  frivolous  that  no  one  else  would  give 
her,"  she  said.  "  I  know  lots  of  people  will  think 
of  her  and  will  send  her  useful  things.  Let's  look 
over  what's  in  the  trunk  and  pick  out  what  we  will 
use.  Maybe  I  can  find  something  there,  too." 

This  suggestion  was  met  with  universal  approval, 
and  the  four  clattered  up-stairs.  This  was  the 
time  of  day  when  Daniella  went  to  see  her  mother 
at  the  hospital  and  when  Aunt  Sarah  was  busy  in 
the  kitchen.  The  four  sisters  gathered  around  the 
little  trunk  which  still  held  many  pretty  odds  and 
ends  as  yet  unused.  Nan  did  the  rummaging. 

"There,  Jean,"  she  said,  tossing  out  a  piece  of 
flowered  silk;  "  that  will  do  for  mother's  bag." 

"  Isn't  it  a  lovely  craulity  ?  "  said  Jean,  smoothing 
out  the  silk. 

"  Here  are  some  ends  of  ribbon  that  will  do  for 
the  strings,"  said  Nan,  dragging  out  some  lengths 
of  lavendar.  "  Oh,  oh,  this  is  exactly  what  I  will 
give  to  Daniella;  these  red  beads.  She  will  love 
them,  and  we  have  plenty.  There  are  more  here. 
We  can  give  a  string  to  Cousin  Polly,  these  queer- 
looking  ones  will  just  do  for  her;  she  loves  easterny 


Christmas  Gifts  319 

looking  things.  And  oh,  Mary  Lee,  we  can  use 
some  of  this  Florentine  orris  and  make  a  sachet  for 
Miss  Belle.  Here  is  some  perfectly  lovely  lace. 
What  shall  we  do  with  it  ?  " 

"  Make  some  sort  of  stock  or  something  for  Aunt 
Sarah,  and  if  there  is  enough,  one  for  Cousin  Mag." 

"Just  the  ticket,"  cried  Nan;  "  you're  a  dabster, 
Mary  Lee.  Suppose  you  get  a  paper  and  pencil  and 
put  down  the  things  and  the  person's  names  as  we 
make  up  our  minds  about  them;  then  we  won't 
forget  what  is  for  each." 

Mary  Lee  liked  to  make  lists  and  she  was  quick 
to  follow  out  this  plan.  "  Three  boxes  of  panuchee 
for  the  three  teachers,"  she  read  off.  "  Stocks  of 
lace  for  Aunt  Sarah  and  Cousin  Mag;  beads,  Polly; 
beads,  Daniella;  sachet,  Miss  Belle.  I  think  mother 
ought  to  have  a  lace  collar  and  cuffs,  Nan;  she 
ought  to  have  the  best. " 

"Of  course.  Well,  here's  this  narrower  lace; 
we  could  sew  it  on  some  thin  stuff  and  make  the 
collars  for  the  others  and  give  mother  the  handsome 
lace.  Oh,  dear,  every  one's  present  to  mother  will 
be  better  than  mine.  Maybe  1  can  think  of  some- 
thing else  for  her.  I  think  each  of  us  should  give 
Aunt  Sarah  something,  and  I  believe  I  will  make  a 
work-bag  out  of  this."  She  spread  out  a  piece  of 
silk  on  her  lap.  "  Now,  what  next  ?  Here  are 


320  The  Four  Corners 

several  hat-pins,  six  of  them;  we  could  give  this 
amethyst  looking  one  to  Aunt  Sarah,  Jean  can  give 

that  and  Jack  can  give  her — can  give  her "  Nan 

went  on  rummaging,  "  this  dear  little  box.  I'd  like 
it  myself  but  I'll  give  it  up  to  Aunt  Sarah.  It  has 
Sorrento  on  it,  so  it  must  have  come  from  there. 
This  trunk  is  like  somebody's  bag — who  was  it 
that  had  a  purse  or  a  bag  or  whatever  it  was,  that 
never  failed  ?  " 

"  Fortunatus,  you  mean."  Mary  Lee  gave  the 
information. 

"  Yes,  he  is  the  person.  Who  is  left  on  the  list, 
Mary  Lee  ?  " 

"Let  me  see.  Mrs.  Boggs,  the  boys,  Mitty  and 
Unc'  Landy,  ourselves,  Aunt  Helen  and  grand- 
mother, if  you  say  so." 

Nan  swept  something  from  the  trunk  and  hid  it 
behind  her.  "  I've  something  for  you,"  she  sang 
out. 

"  That's  not  fair,"  said  Mary  Lee,  in  an  aggrieved 
tone.  "  You  are  right  there  and  can  pick  out  any- 
thing." 

"  Well,"  spoke  up  Jack,  "  grandmother  sent  it  all 
to  her." 

"That's  so,  I  forgot  that,"  said  Mary  Lee, 
abashed. 

"You  know  perfectly  well  that  I  wouldn't  take 


Christmas  Gifts  321 

anything  unless  the  rest  of  you  had  share  and  share 
alike,"  said  Nan,  "and  I'll  tell  you  what  we'll  do; 
each  one  shall  have  a  pick  in  turn:  three  grabs 
apiece  and  if  we  can't  find  anything  we  like  we  shall 
have  to  make  something.  How  will  that  do  ?  " 

All  agreed  that  this  was  not  only  fair  but  gener- 
ous and  one  after  another  was  sent  out  of  the  room 
while  the  choice  for  her  was  being  made,  and  at 
last  Nan  shut  the  trunk  and  shoved  it  under  the  bed. 
"Hasn't  it  been  fun?"  she  said.  "  I  do  feel  so 
grateful  to  grandmother  for  sending  over  that  trunk. 
Think  what  has  come  out  of  it.  We  never  in  the 
world  could  have  given  half  the  Christmas  gifts  nor 
nearly  such  nice  ones.  What  shall  we  give  the 
boys,  Mary  Lee  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  they'd  as  soon  have  panuchee  as  any- 
thing." 

"  We  can't  all  give  them  panuchee;  they'll  be  ill 
if  we  do." 

"  Then  we'll  have  to  think  up  something;  we've 
done  enough  planning  for  one  day." 

"  I'm  more  bothered  about  Aunt  Helen  and 
grandmother  than  any  one  just  now,  to  tell  you  the 
truth." 

"One  of  them  can  have  panuchee." 

"Oh,  Mary  Lee,  we  aren't  going  to  set  up  a 
candy  factory." 


322  The  Four  Corners 

"I  know,  but  two  or  three  goes  of  it  will  make 
enough  to  give  a  lot  of  people  and  everybody  likes 
it." 

"Well,  as  you  say,  we  have  done  enough  plan- 
ning for  one  day.  I  am  going  over  to  see  Aunt 
Helen  now.  I  want  to  tell  her  what  fun  we  had 
over  the  trunk  and  besides  I  know  she  will  have 
some  ideas  for  Christmas." 

Each  girl  carried  off  her  treasures  and  Nan  set  out 
for  Uplands,  but,  before  she  had  gone  far,  she  came 
rushing  back,  rummaged  for  paper  and  pencil  and 
started  forth  again  wearing  what  was  called  the 
family  cloak.  This  was  a  dark  red  golf  cape  which 
was  worn  indiscriminately  by  all  the  members  of 
the  family  from  Aunt  Sarah  down.  The  pointed 
hood  upon  it  could  be  taken  off,  by  unbuttoning 
it,  and  made  a  convenient  pouch  for  the  wearer 
who  wished  to  bring  home  any  chance  spoils  gath- 
ered by  the  way,  so  the  cloak  was  always  in  de- 
mand. 

It  was  a  brisk  winter's  day,  but  too  cold  for  a 
stop  at  Place  o'  Pines,  though  Nan  turned  aside  to 
peep  into  her  old  shelter.  As  she  turned  from  the 
spot,  she  gave  a  gleeful  skip.  "Joy,  joy,  "she  cried, 
"I  have  an  idea!" 

"So  glad,"  said  some  one  near  her.  "Where 
are  you  going,  West  Corner?"  This  was  Ran's 


Christmas  Gifts  323 

favorite  name  for  her  and  it  was  he  as  she  well 
knew. 

"[  am  going  to  Uplands,  but  I  came  around  this 
way  to  look  for  some  little  wee  pine  cones." 

Ran  appeared  from  behind  a  tree  where  he  had 
been  in  hiding.  "What  are  you  going  to  do  with 
little  pine  cones?"  he  asked. 

"I  want  to  use  them  on  a  picture  frame  for 
mother's  Christmas  gift.  I  have  seen  real  pretty 
frames  made  of  them.  We  shall  have  to  get 
mother's  Christmas  box  ready  first  and  we  have 
none  too  much  time.  We  have  been  having  lots  of 
fun,  Ran,  planning  out  the  presents  we  shall  give. 
It  will  be  rather  a  forlorn  Christmas,  I  am  afraid, 
with  all  we  can  do,  for  there  will  be  no  mother  and 
you  boys  will  not  be  here." 

"  That's  where  you  are  mistaken,"  said  Ran 
soberly.  "We  shall  be  here.  We  are  not  going 
home  after  all." 

"You're  not?  Oh,  dear,  I'm  so  sorry  for  you, 
though  I  am  glad  we  shall  be  able  to  keep  you;  the 
more  the  merrier,  you  know.  What  is  the  matter 
at  home,  Ran  ?" 

"My  little  sister,  Leila,  has  scarlet  fever,  and,  as 
soon  as  she  is  well  enough,  they  are  going  to  take 
her  to  Florida.  That  lets  us  out  of  any  holiday  at 
home  either  way.  Father  and  mother  wouldn't 


324  The  Four  Corners 

want  us  to  be  exposed  to  the  danger  of  taking  the 
fever,  and,  if  Leila  gets  well  before  Christmas,  they 
will  leave  anyhow." 

"Isn't  it  just  too  bad?  Well,  we  must  try  to 
have  as  jolly  a  time  as  we  can.  We  are  in  some- 
thing the  same  box,  for  we  must  do  without  our 
mother,  too.  There  will  be  all  sorts  of  parties  and 
things  going  on  in  town,  so  maybe  you  will  enjoy 
yourselves  more  than  you  think;  still  I  am  very 
sorry  for  you.  Christmas  anywhere  except  in  one's 
own  home  and  with  one's  own  family  can't  help 
being  sort  of  dreary." 

Such  sweet  sympathy  was  consoling  and  Ran 
helped  her  to  look  for  the  pine  cones  which  she  put 
in  the  hood  of  her  cloak  to  carry  away.  He 
promised  to  help  her  with  the  wooden  framework 
upon  which  she  was  to  glue  the  cones,  and  sug- 
gested a  quadruple  frame  which  would  look  more 
important  than  four  small  ones. 

"  But  the  glass  will  be  harder  to  get,"  said  Nan. 
"I  have  some  old  photograph  plates  that  I  was 
going  to  clean  off  and  use  for  the  small  frames. 
Ammonia  cleans  them  beautifully." 

"I'll  attend  to  getting  the  glass  for  you,"  prom- 
ised Ran.  "  I  know  where  there  is  a  piece  of  glass 
that  will  just  do."  The  glass  was  at  the  one  frame- 
maker's  in  town  and  Ran  meant  to  buy  it,  but  he 


Christmas  Gifts  325 

did  not  tell  Nan  so,  knowing  she  would  object. 
Nan  told  him  about  Jack's  calendar  and  he  offered 
not  only  to  furnish  the  photograph  they  wanted  but 
to  take  several  more  of  interiors  which  could  be  scat- 
tered through  the  pages  to  give  comfort  and  pleasure 
to  the  absent  mother. 

Never  before  had  Ran  been  so  kind  and  interested 
and  when  he  left  her  at  her  grandmother's  door 
Nan  said:  "I  always  wanted  an  older  brother, 
Ran,  to  do  just  the  things  for  me  that  you  are  going 
to  do.  It  is  a  real  comfort  to  know  you  are  going 
to  be  here  all  through  the  holidays." 

Her  Aunt  Helen  gave  her  the  warm  greeting  with 
which  she  always  met  this  niece  for  whom  she 
daily  felt  a  deeper  affection.  Nan  was  so  graciously 
appreciative,  so  winsomely  enthusiastic,  so  spon- 
taneously affectionate,  that  her  aunt  felt  that  of  all 
her  nieces  she  must  always  love  her  best.  Nan  first 
told  of  the  pleasure  they  had  been  having  in  look- 
ing over  and  dividing  the  remaining  articles  of  the 
trunk,  and  then  she  said,  "  There  are  two  or  three 
things  I  want  to  consult  you  about,  Aunt  Helen. 
We  ought  and  want  to  give  something  to  the  boys, 
but  boys  are  so  hard  to  get  things  for,  and  when 

one  has  no  money "  She  stopped  short  with  a 

blush.  Never,  except  by  accident,  did  she  refer  to 
this  fact  in  the  presence  of  her  aunt  and  grand- 


326  The  Four  Corners 

mother.  "I  mean,"  she  went  on,  "it  is  much 
nicer  to  make  something  unless  you  can  really  buy 
something  worth  while,  as  mother  says.  There  are 
four  of  us  and  there  are  two  boys;  that  makes  eight 
presents,  you  see." 

"  Truly  that  is  quite  a  number  to  think  of,"  said 
her  aunt. 

"  Yes,  it  is.  Mary  Lee  is  going  to  give  each  of 
them  a  box  of  panuchee — I  don't  know  what  we 
should  do  this  year  if  we  didn't  know  how  to  make 
it — so  that  leaves  six." 

"  We  shall  have  to  put  on  our  thinking- 
caps,"  said  Miss  Helen,  meditatively.  "You 
could  make  a  twine  ball,  for  one  thing;  that 
is  cheap  and  easy  and  boys  always  are  glad  of 
string." 

"  But  it  takes  a  ball  of  twine." 

"  I  have  several  and  shall  be  pleased  to  present 
you  with  a  couple." 

"But " 

"  No  buts,  please,  dear;  it  is  such  a  very  little 
thing." 

"Oh,  very  well,"  Nan  replied  weakly,  seeing  it 
would  hurt  her  aunt  to  refuse. 

"  Then  I  am  sure  there  must  be  a  silk  handker- 
chief in  that  trunk." 

"  Of  course  there  is.     I  never  thought  of  that, 


Christmas  Gifts  327 

and  I  saw  it  only  to-day.  Why  that  is  half  the 
eight  already." 

"  Then — let  me  see — did  you  ever  see  a  devil  pen- 
wiper made  from  a  wishbone  ?  I'll  show  you  how 
to  make  one.  It  costs  nothing  and  that  makes  five, 
you  see.  I  think  a  blotter  always  does  very  well  to 
give  a  schoolboy." 

Nan  sighed.  There  would  be  blotting  paper  to 
be  bought.  Her  aunt  read  her  thought  and  did  not 
insist  upon  this.  "  A  burnt  match-receiver  can  be 
easily  made,"  she  went  on,  "and  it  is  nice  to 
give  things  for  a  boy's  room  when  he  is  away  from 
home.  There  is  a  kind  that  is  made  by  crocheting 
a  cover  over  a  goblet  from  which  the  stem  has 
been  broken." 

"I  am  sure  we  can  get  that  easily  enough," 
laughed  Nan.  "I  suppose  worsted  will  do 
for  the  crocheted  part,  and  I  have  some  of 
that." 

"  Worsted  is  the  proper  thing.  It  will  make  a 
nice,  useful  present." 

"  There  are  only  two  more  and  they  can  be  some- 
thing very  simple  for  the  twins  to  give." 

"  Then  a  couple  of  little  calendars  will  do.  Two 
or  three  have  come  to  us  from  advertising  houses. 
We'll  take  off  the  advertisement  and  put  the  calen- 
dars on  pretty  cards.  There  are  some  in  the  trunk, 


328  The  Four  Corners 

aren't  there  ?  So  now  you  have  every  one  sup- 
plied." 

"  I  knew  you  would  help  us  out,  you  dearest 
Aunt  Helen.  Now,  there  is  one  thing  more,  and 
this  is  my  own  secret.  I  am  going  to  give  mother 
the  photographs  in  a  frame  that  I  am  going  to 
make  myself,  though  Ran  will  help  me,  but  the 
others  have  so  much  nicer  things  and  I  would  like 
to  send  her  something  that  comes  right  from  myself, 
from  my  inside  heart,  so  " — she  hesitated  a  mo- 
ment. "You  know,"  she  went  on  shyly,  "you 
said  long  ago  you  thought  my  little  tune  wasn't 
so  bad  and  I  thought  I'd  try  to  write  some 
words  that  would  go  with  the  tune.  Would  you 
mind  very  much  helping  me  a  little  to  get  it  all 
right?" 

"  Why,  darling  girl,  of  course  I  shall  be  delighted 
to  give  you  any  help  within  my  power,  and  it  is  a 
lovely  thought,  one  I  am  sure  your  mother  will  ap- 
preciate." 

"I  thought  of  the  beginning  while  I  was  com- 
ing over  here,  and  I  went  back  to  get  a  paper 
and  pencil,  but  Ran  came  along  and  I  didn't  have  a 
chance  to  write  it  down." 

"  Should  you  like  to  do  it  now  ?  You  can  come 
right  up  into  my  room,  if  you  like.  Not  a  soul 
will  disturb  you,  and,  unless  you  would  rather  be 


Christmas  Gifts  329 

alone,  I  will  sit  there  and  you  can  consult  me  or 
not  as  you  like." 

"  Oh,  I'd  like  to  consult  you;  that  is  what  I  really 
want  to  do;  and  I'm  sure  to  be  able  to  write  what  I 
want  when  I  am  in  your  lovely  room." 

"  Let  us  go  up  then." 

For  some  time  Nan  scribbled  away  while  Miss 
Helen  busied  herself  with  some  embroidery.  Once 
or  twice  the  writer  asked  a  question.  "  Does  a^ure 
rhyme  with  to  her,  Aunt  Helen  ?" 

"Scarcely,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Then  I  won't  try  to  make  it."  And  Nan  went 
on,  "  Do  you  spell  scanned  with  one  n  or  two  ?" 
she  asked  after  a  while. 

"With  two,  dear." 

Nan  set  to  work  again.  After  a  time  she  looked 
up  anxiously.  "  Does  cheap  sound  very  badly  in  a 
poem  ?  " 

"  It  depends.     I  can  tell  better  when  I  see." 

"I'll  have  to  leave  it,"  said  Nan.  "There  isn't 
any  other  word  that  will  rhyme  and  make  sense. 
There,  that's  the  very  best  I  can  do."  She  brought 
her  paper  to  her  aunt  who  read  the  following: 

••  I  thought,  what  can  I  send  to  her 

Who  is  so  very  dear  to  me  ? 
Shall  I  search  the  skies  above, 
Or  the  sea  ? 


330  The  Four  Corners 

Shall  I  travel  east  and  west  ? 

Shall  I  look  from  south  to  north  ? 
Where's  a  gift  to  give  my  best, 
Dearest  mother  ? 

"  But  the  skies  are  very  far, 

And  the  sea  is  much  too  deep, 
While  to  travel  all  the  earth 

Is  not  cheap. 
So,  when  I  had  scanned  the  blue, 

Looked  around,  below,  above, 
All  that  I  could  find  for  you 
Was  my  love,  mother." 

Nan  watched  her  aunt  anxiously.  "  Will  it  do  ? " 
she  asked,  wistfully. 

Her  aunt  read  it  over  again.  "  You  have  caught 

the  metre  quite  well,"  she  said,  "and "  She 

knew  it  could  be  improved,  but  she  did  not  want 
to  take  the  childishness  from  it  so  she  said:  "  Yes, 
Nan,  on  the  whole,  I  think  it  will  do." 

"  And  may  I  put  words  and  music  by  Nannette 
Weston  Corner?"  the  composer  asked  eagerly. 

"  I  think  I  wouldn't  use  the  Nannette.  Let  us 
always  have  the  dear,  homely  Nancy.  I  have  some 
music-paper  and  you  can  make  a  copy.  I  will  help 
you." 

Nan's  starlike  eyes  expressed  her  joy.  "  It  is 
almost  like  having  it  really  published,"  she  said, 
"  and  1  know  mother  will  like  it  because  I  did  it  and 
it  is  really  a  part  of  me." 


Christmas  Gifts  331 

"  She  would  be  a  very  cold-hearted  mother  not  to 
appreciate  it,"  returned  Miss  Helen,  "  and  that  Mary 
Lee  is  not.  It  is  so  dark,  Nan,  I  think  I'd  better 
send  Martha  home  with  you.  Come  over  as  soon 
as  you  can  and  we'll  get  all  these  Christmas  gifts 
finished  up." 

Nan  hugged  her  closely.  "  How  in  the  world  did 
I  ever  get  along  without  you  ?  "  she  said. 

"  And  how  did  I  ever  get  along  without  you  ?" 
returned  Miss  Helen  with  as  warm  a  hug.  And  the 
two  parted. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


AN  EVENING  OF  MUSIC 


THE  Christmas  preparations  went  on  famously 
under  Aunt  Helen's  directions  by  which  all  of  the 
girls  profited,  and  though  they  worked  very  hard, 
at  last  they  viewed  their  array  of  gifts  with  much 
complacency.  Nan  had  kept  the  making  of  her 
song  a  secret,  yet  probably  nothing  gave  her  such 
complete  pleasure,  and  when  it  was  all  ready, 
words  and  music  neatly  written  with  Aunt  Helen's 
skilful  help,  Nan  would  like  to  have  gazed  a  dozen 
times  a  day  at  the  page.  At  the  top  was  "  A  Song  " 
done  in  ornamental  letters.  Under  this  was  "To 
my  Mother,"  and  then  came  "  Words  and  Music  by 
Nancy  Weston  Corner."  Miss  Helen  kept  the  pre- 
cious sheet  in  her  charge  lest  some  one  should  dis- 
cover it. 

"  You  won't  mind  your  grandmother's  seeing  it, 
will  you  ?  "  she  asked  Nan.  ' '  She  will  be  so  pleased 
and  proud."  And  Nan,  remembering  the  little 
trunk,  could  not  refuse.  If  she  had  known  then  and 
there  the  result  she  would  have  had  no  misgivings. 

"  I  wish  you  could  see  what  Nan  has  done,"  said 


336  The  Four  Corners 

Miss  Helen,  knowing  well  how  to  arouse  her  moth- 
er's interest.  "She  is  making  a  secret  of  what  she 
is  going  to  give  her  mother  at  Christmas,  but  she 
has  given  me  leave  to  show  it  to  you.  I  am  keep- 
ing it  safe  for  her." 

"Let  me  see  it,  Helen,"  said  Mrs.  Corner  with 
real  eagerness.  And  Miss  Helen  produced  the  sheet 
of  music.  Mrs.  Corner  scanned  it  interestedly.  "It 
seems  to  me  the  child  has  real  talent,"  she  remarked. 

"  Yes,  I  think  she  has.  I  hadn't  the  heart  to  sug- 
gest any  alterations,  and  I  know  her  mother  would 
rather  the  whole  thing  should  come  to  her  without. 
You  have  not  heard  Nan  at  the  piano,  mother,  for 
that  disabled  arm  has  prevented  her  attempts.  She 
has  a  pretty  touch  and  plays  really  delightfully  by 
ear.  I  wish  you  could  hear  her.  I  think  now  that 
her  arm  seems  quite  well  again,  I  shall  lure  her  up 
here  to  play  for  us  some  time  soon." 

"  Mr.  Harmer  said  he  would  be  coming  this  way 
about  Christmas  time,"  said  Mrs.  Corner,  thought- 
fully. "  He  will  surely  stop  to  see  us." 

"  He  will  be  here  this  week,  I  am  sure.  I  am  ex- 
pecting a  telegram  any  time." 

"  I'd  like  him  to  meet  Nancy.  Such  an  old  friend 
as  he  is  can  be  relied  upon  to  tell  us  whether  the 
child  really  has  talent  or  not.  Does  she  take  music 
lessons,  Helen?" 


An  Evening  of  Music  337 

"They  have  no  piano,  you  know,  and  I  don't 
think  Mary's  means  allow  of  Nan's  having  lessons. 
I'd  like  to  teach  her  myself,  and  shall  propose  to 
after  Christmas,  for  my  little  Daniella  will  be  going 
then  and  I  shall  miss  my  occupation." 

"  They  have  heard  from  her  uncle  then  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Mrs.  Boggs  had  a  letter  yesterday.  He 
has  a  ranch  in  Texas  and  offers  to  give  them  a 
home  with  him.  His  wife  is  dead  and  he  seems 
greatly  pleased  at  discovering  his  sister.  So  they 
will  go  out  to  him  as  soon  as  the  money  can  be 
raised.  Miss  Polly  Lewis  is  collecting  contributions 
to  pay  their  expenses  and  has  already  quite  a  little 
fund.  Old  Daniel  Boggs  cannot  live  the  week  out, 
the  doctor  says." 

"  You  may  offer  Miss  Lewis  five  dollars  from  me, 
toward  the  fund,"  said  Mrs.  Corner. 

"She  will  be  glad  to  have  it,"  said  Miss  Helen, 
simply.  She  was  pleased  to  see  her  mother  tak- 
ing more  interest  in  the  things  around  her,  in  ex- 
tending her  sympathies  and  in  being  willing  to  get 
in  touch  with  her  old  acquaintances. 

A  telegram  the  next  day  from  Mr.  Harmer  an- 
nounced that  he  would  arrive  that  same  evening. 
"We  must  have  Nancy  over,"  said  Mrs.  Corner. 
"  Send  for  her,  Helen." 

So  a  note  was  dispatched  which  caused  great  ex- 


338  The  Four  Corners 

citement  when  Nan  read  it.  She  flew  to  her  Aunt 
Sarah.  "Just  think,"  she  cried,  "there  is  going  to 
be  a  real  musician,  a  really  great  one,  over  at  grand- 
mother's and  they  have  invited  me  over  to  hear  him 
play  this  evening.  I  may  go,  mayn't  I  ?  You  know 
I  never  did  hear  any  one  like  that." 

"And  you  do  love  music  so,"  added  Miss  Sarah 
with  a  twinkle. 

"You  know  I  do." 

"  To-night,  did  you  say  ?  How  will  you  get 
home?" 

"  They  will  send  some  one  with  me  or  I  could 
stay  all  night,  I  suppose." 

"You'd  better  come  home.  I'll  send  Ran  over 
about  half-past  nine.  Go  'long,  then." 

Nan  arrayed  herself  in  her  best,  which,  after  all, 
was  not  so  very  fine,  and  she  bewailed  the  fact  that 
it  was  not  a  real  party  for  which  she  had  all  the 
necessary  outfit.  However,  the  dark  blue  serge 
was  becoming,  and  the  corals  were  an  addition. 
Nan  decided  that  her  grandmother  would  be  pleased 
if  she  wore  them  and  would  overlook  the  shabbi- 
ness  of  her  frock.  Few,  though,  would  have  seen 
beyond  the  expressive  face  and  starry  eyes,  and 
it  is  certain  that  Mr.  Harmer  gave  no  thought  to  her 
frock. 

He  was  a  gentle  looking  man,  with  iron-gray 


An  Evening  of  Music  339 

hair,  rather  an  unseeing  expression,  and  an  absent 
manner;  but,  when  he  was  talking  of  music,  his 
face  lighted  up,  and  his  eyes  lost  their  dreamy  look. 
He  greeted  Nan  kindly,  holding  her  hand  a  moment 
and  patting  it.  Then  he  went  to  the  piano,  and  for 
an  hour  Nan  sat  spellbound. 

Into  what  regions  of  delight  was  she  plunged. 
She  followed  marching  armies,  she  danced  with 
fairies;  she  wept  over  lost  lovers;  she  watched 
fleeting  shadows;  she  trod  a  land  of  spring-time  and 
flowers.  Mrs.  Corner  had  purposely  placed  her 
where  she  could  watch  her,  and  within  the  mu- 
sician's line  of  vision.  Once  in  a  while  he  gave  a 
glance  at  the  rapt  countenance  and  nodded  signifi- 
cantly at  Miss  Helen.  Finally  when  the  last  note  of 
the  "Moonlight  Sonata"  had  ceased  to  vibrate,  Mr. 
Harmer  turned  to  Nan.  "Now,"  he  said,  "I  want 
to  hear  this  little  girl  play." 

Nan  almost  jumped  from  her  seat  in  surprise. 
"Me?"  she  exclaimed,  with  a  startled  look  from 
one  to  another. 

"  Yes,  you,  my  dear,"  said  her  grandmother.  "  I 
am  very  anxious  that  Mr.  Harmer  should  hear  what 
you  can  do.  You  are  able  to  use  your  arm  freely 
now.  I'd  like  you,  too,  to  show  Mr.  Harmer  the 
little  song  you  have  written." 

There  was  something  in  Mrs.  Corner's  manner 


340  The  Four  Corners 

that  admitted  no  denial  of  her  wishes,  though 
Nan  faltered  out  that  she  had  never  taken  lessons, 
that  she  knew  only  a  very,  very  little  about  notes 
and  time. 

"We  all  know  that,"  said  Mrs.  Corner.  "We 
do  not  expect  wonders,  Nancy." 

So  Nan  got  up.  As  she  passed  her  Aunt  Helen, 
she  detained  her,  whispering,  "Play  that  little  air 
you  were  trying  that  day  I  first  heard  you." 

Nan  nodded.  Her  hands  were  cold,  her  face 
flushed,  never  had  she  gone  through  such  an  ordeal. 
Yet  she  knew  she  must  do  her  best  and  somehow 
the  mere  pleasure  of  making  music  took  from  her 
all  fear  after  the  first  few  weak  notes.  She  played 
through  the  little  air  her  aunt  had  heard,  with  taste 
and  expression.  A  soft  clapping  of  hands  rewarded 
her. 

Mr.  Harmer  nodded  approvingly  at  Mrs.  Corner. 
"Come  here,  my  dear,"  he  said  to  Nan.  He  took 
her  hand  and  looked  at  the  long,  slim  fingers. 
"  Do  you  love  music  well  enough  to  work  very 
hard,  to  give  up  play  when  you  ought  to  practice 
dull  exercises,  to  study  patiently  and  long  ?  " 

"I  think  so.  I  know  so,"  said  Nan,  earnestly. 
"  I'd  do  anything  to  be  able  to  play  as  you  do." 

Mr.  Harmer  smiled.  "I  think  you  needn't  hesi- 
tate, Mrs.  Corner,"  he  said.  "Now,  where's  that 


An  Evening  of  Music  341 

song  you  were  telling  me  of  ? "  Nan  reluctantly 
brought  it.  Mr.  Harmer  looked  it  over  without  a 
comment.  "  Do  you  make  many  tunes  ?"  he  said. 

"Oh,  yes,"  returned  Nan.  "  I  make  them  all  the 
time.  Sometimes  I  forget  them  very  soon,  and 
sometimes  they  stay  in  my  head  and  come  back 
again  and  again." 

Mr.  Harmer  nodded.  "Thank  you,  my  dear.  It 
is  a  pleasure  to  meet  such  a  little  music  lover." 

He  went  back  to  the  piano  and  was  playing  a 
wonderful  nocturne  when  Ran  called  to  take  Nan 
home.  Her  grandmother  kissed  her  good-night 
with  unusual  warmth,  her  Aunt  Helen  hugged  her 
and  Mr.  Harmer  shook  hands  cordially,  saying  he 
hoped  to  live  to  see  her  a  fine  pianist.  So  Nan 
went  home  with  a  glow  in  her  heart  and  a  faint  lit- 
tle hope  that  her  grandmother  would  let  her  come 
there  sometimes  to  play. 

The  question  of  presents  for  her  grandmother  and 
Aunt  Helen  remained  unsettled  till  the  very  day  be- 
fore Christmas,  but  as  the  children  had  been  very 
industrious  with  their  other  presents  and  the  box  to 
their  mother  had  been  sent,  there  was  little  left  for 
them  to  do  but  to  trim  the  tree,  which  the  boys  had 
cut  the  day  before,  and  which  was  standing  in  its 
spicy  greenness  in  the  corner  of  the  living-room. 
"  If  we  only  had  the  things,  we  could  make  a  fine 


342  The  Four  Corners 

cake,"  said  Nan.  "We  have  eggs  enough,  but 
Aunt  Sarah  says  we  can't  afford  the  butter;  it  is  so 
high  this  time  of  year.  I  have  decided  to  take  Aunt 
Helen  my  palm.  It  is  looking  fine." 

"Oh,  but  Nan,  you  are  so  fond  of  it,  and  Mrs. 
Wise  sent  it  to  you,"  said  Jack. 

"1  know,  but  I  must  give  her  something  lam 
very  fond  of,  for  she  has  been  so  perfectly  dear  to  me. " 
It  was  quite  true  that  the  palm  was  dear  to  Nan.  It 
represented  a  sort  of  tropical  luxuriance  in  which 
she  delighted.  She  loved  the  outline  of  its  shadows, 
the  tracery  of  the  pointed  leaves  against  the  window 
curtain,  and  its  general  aspect  as  it  stood  in  one  of 
the  front  windows  of  the  living-room.  To  give  it 
up  was  really  a  sacrifice,  but  one  she  made  will- 
ingly. 

At  this  moment  Mary  Lee  came  in.  "Cousin 
Polly  wants  to  know  if  you  have  time  to  come 
over  there  for  a  few  minutes,"  she  said  to  Nan. 

"Of  course  I  have,"  was  the  reply.  "I'm  so 
glad  we  were  not  lazy  over  making  our  things  for 
Christmas,  for  now  they  are  all  done  and  even  tied 
up,  so  it  makes  me  feel  so  free  and  ready  to  get  ex- 
cited wondering  what  I  will  get  myself."  She  ran 
singing  down  the  walk,  the  red  golf  cape  around  her. 
"  Heigho,  Polly!"  she  cried  as  she  went  in. 
"Busy?" 


An  Evening  of  Music  343 

"  Oh,  my  dear,  I'm  up  to  my  eyes,  and  I  did  so 
want  to  make  some  panuchee  for  father;  he  simply 
loves  the  kind  with  peanuts  in  it,  but  I  haven't 
time  to  make  it;  I  don't  suppose  you  have  either." 

"Why  yes,  I  have.  We've  really  nothing  to  do 
but  trim  the  tree,  and  that  we  are  going  to  do  to- 
night, we  older  ones,  though  I  should  like  mighty 
well  to  make  a  cake  for  grandmother.  It  would  be 
mighty  nice  if  we  four  girls  could  do  each  a  part, 
but  alas,  butter  is  high.  We  went  without  for  a 
week  so  as  to  have  some  for  our  panuchee,  we  had 
the  nuts  and  Aunt  Sarah  gave  us  the  sugar,  but 
cake  is  a  little  beyond  our  means.  One  day's 
going  without  butter  wouldn't  make  even  one  cup- 
ful." 

"I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do,"  said  Polly  stopping 
her  work  for  a  moment.  "If  you  will  make  my 
panuchee,  I'll  give  you  all  the  materials  for  your 
cake." 

"  Done  !  "  cried  Nan.  '•  It's  a  bargain.  Shall  I 
make  it  here  or  at  home  ?  " 

"  I  don't  care  so  long  as  it  is  done." 

"  Then  I'll  do  it  at  home,  for  I  am  more  used  to 
our  own  pots  and  pans.  I  suppose,"  she  added, 
"you  won't  mind  if  I  use  the  scrapings  for  wages, 
that's  what  we  generally  do." 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Nan  Corner?" 


344  The  Four  Corners 

"Why,  we  get  the  twins  to  shell  the  peanuts 
and  pay  them  for  it  with  the  scrapings  and  the 
raggedy  pieces  when  the  stuff  is  done." 

"You  are  quite  welcome  to  that  and  a  good  fat 
piece  for  each  of  you  besides.  Tell  me  what  you 
want  for  your  cake,  and  I'll  send  Phil  over  with 
your  materials  and  mine." 

"I'd  like  to  make  a  lady  cake;  grandmother  is 
such  a  lady,  and  then,  too,  the  egg  yolks  can  be 
used  for  something  else,  so  it  will  be  more  econom- 
ical." 

"  You  are  a  regular  old  woman  with  your  econom- 
ical ways,"  said  Polly,  going  to  the  pantry.  "I'll 
send  everything,  Nan,  even  the  flavoring  extract  and 
mother's  recipe  which  can't  be  beat.  It's  the  bak- 
ing that  is  the  most  important  part,  remember." 

"Oh,  Aunt  Sarah  will  help  with  that  even  if  it  is 
for  grandmother.  She  would  never  be  happy  to  see 
good  materials  spoiled."  And  Nan  went  off  well 
pleased  with  her  bargain. 

The  candy  was  first  made  and  then  they  set  to 
work  on  the  cake.  Mary  Lee  beat  the  eggs,  Jack 
and  Jean  creamed  the  butter  and  sugar  together, 
Nan  added  the  other  ingredients  and  all  gave  a  final 
stir,  and,  in  spite  of  the  saying  that  "too  many 
cooks  spoil  the  broth,"  the  cake  turned  out  beauti- 
fully. Aunt  Sarah  showed  them  how  to  ice  it  and 


An  Evening  of  Music  345 

to  stick  walnut  meats  on  top,  so  that  it  was  a  most 
delectable  piece  of  cookery  when  it  was  done,  and 
Daniella,  who  took  a  great  interest  in  the  perform- 
ance, looked  at  it  with  great  admiration. 

All  these  Christmas  preparations  were  a  novelty 
to  the  little  mountain  girl,  but  they  celebrated  but 
one  event  in  her  mind  and  that  was  the  recovery  of 
her  mother,  for  Mrs.  Boggs  was  to  leave  the 
hospital  the  next  day  and  take  dinner  with  the 
Corners. 

"I  know  what  we  can  take  Aunt  Helen,"  said 
Jack,  as  they  were  hanging  wreaths  in  the  living- 
room;  "we'll  make  some  wreaths  to  take  to  her; 
we've  such  a  lot  of  greens  and  she'll  like  them." 

The  rest  agreed  that  this  was  a  very  good  sugges- 
tion, and  they  set  to  work  on  them,  Daniella  help- 
ing them,  so  that  a  half  dozen  pretty  wreaths  with 
cheerful  red  holly  berries  set  in  them,  were  soon 
ready  and  the  big  tree  in  the  corner  alone  needed 
the  attention  of  their  busy  fingers. 

"  Daniella  has  never  seen  a  Christmas  tree,"  said 
Mary  Lee,  "and  she  mustn't  help.  Wait  till  to- 
morrow morning,  Daniella,  and  you  will  see  how 
pretty  we've  made  it.  You  don't  mind  waiting,  do 
you  ?  Jack  and  Jean  aren't  going  to  help  either." 

"I  don't  mind  nothin' — anythin',  I  mean,"  said 
Daniella,  who  was  improving  under  association  and 


346  The  Four  Corners 

direction.  "  I'm  real  happy  even  if  po'  ole  grandad 
ain't  hyah.  He's  havin'  a  better  time'n  we  could 
give  him,  maw  says,  an'  he  got  so  foolish  an'  help- 
less, maw  says  he  lef  us  long  ago." 

"I  reckon  that's  true,"  said  Nan,  soberly,  "and 
you  can't  help  being  thankful  and  glad  when  you 
have  your  mother.  I  only  wish  our  dear  blessed 
mother  was  here.  I  can't  bear  to  think  of  Christ- 
mas without  her,  and  I  just  plunge  along  into  what- 
ever comes  without  stopping  to  think." 

"  I'm  glad  there's  going  to  be  one  mother  here," 
remarked  Jack. 

If  upon  Christmas  morning,  something  was 
missed  by  the  four  Corners,  it  was  a  time  of  wonder 
and  delight  to  Daniella.  Never  in  all  her  after  life 
did  she  forget  the  odor  of  the  burning  candles 
mixed  with  the  fragrance  of  the  fir  tree  and  the 
sweet,  appetizing,  spicy  smell  of  the  gingerbread 
man,  the  nutty  candies  and  the  orange  she  found 
in  her  stocking.  Never  did  she  forget  how  they 
all  stood  around  the  tree  in  the  semi-darkened  room 
whose  only  light  came  from  the  candles,  and  sang, 
"  Hark  the  herald  angels  sing."  Never  did  she  for- 
get the  wonder  and  pleasure  on  her  mother's  pale 
face  that  day  at  dinner.  She  surprised  her  friends 
with  gifts.  To  Nan  was  given  the  little  pig,  to  each 
of  the  others  a  hen  and  to  Miss  Sarah's  share  fell 


An  Evening  of  Music  347 

the  one  rooster.  "I  want  you-alls  to  hev  some- 
thin'  to  remember  me  by,"  she  said  a  little  shame- 
facedly. 

"  We'll  never  forget  you,"  said  the  girls  in  chorus. 
"And  you'd  better  not  forget  us,"  added  Jack. 

Daniella  gave  her  one  look.  "  I  ain't  likely,"  she 
said. 

If  Daniella  was  made  happy,  Nan's  Christmas  joy 
exceeded  that  of  any  one  else,  for  shortly  after 
breakfast  a  wagon  stopped  at  the  gate. 

"  Here  comes  the  expressman,"  sang  out  Jean, 
"  and  the  wagon's  coming  in  the  gate.  They  hardly 
ever  do  that.  Oh,  Nan,  what  a  great  big  box." 

Nan  came  to  the  window  daintily  nibbling  a 
chocolate  from  the  box  Ran  had  given  her.  He  had 
supplied  each  of  the  girls  with  delicious  candies. 
"It  is  a  big  box,"  she  said.  "  I  wonder  what  is  in 
it,  and  where  it  is  going.  I'll  go  to  the  door  and 
take  the  package." 

"So'H  I  go,"  declared  Jean  who  was  anxious  to 
see. 

"It  isn't  express  after  all,"  said  Nan;  "it's  the 
wagon  that  brings  freight." 

"  Miss  Nancy  Corner  ?"  said  the  man.  "  Here's 
your  way-bill." 

Nan  took  the  paper  the  man  held  out.  "  Where's 
the  package  ?  "  she  asked. 


348  The  Four  Corners 

"Where  is  it?  You'd  better  ask.  You've  got 
the  biggest  present  in  town  this  day.  It  takes  four 
of  us  to  handle  it.  Where'll  you  have  it  ?  " 

A  half  suspicion  was  forming  in  Nan's  brain. 
She  began  to  tremble.  "  I — I — don't  know,"  she 
faltered. 

"Better  have  it  here  in  the  hall,"  said  the  man, 
"  and  when  it's  unpacked  you  can  move  it  where 
you  like."  And  the  huge  box  was  brought  in  and 
set  near  the  door  of  the  living-room. 

The  men  went  out  and  Nan  stood  gazing  help- 
lessly at  the  box  while  Jean  ran  calling:  "Aunt 
Sarah,  Mary  Lee,  Jack,  come  see  what  Nan's  got. 
Ran,  Ashby,  come  see." 

Presently  the  man  came  back.  "I  forgot  this 
here  was  to  go  with  it,"  he  said,  taking  a  note  from 
his  cap. 

Nan  received  it  mechanically.  She  still  stood 
gazing  at  the  box. 

Ran  was  the  first  to  arrive  on  the  scene. 
"Ho!"  he  exclaimed.  "I  reckon  I  know  what 
that  is." 

Nan  clutched  him  excitedly.  "What!"  she 
whispered,  hoarsely. 

"A  piano,  of  course." 

"  I  don't  believe  it,  I  don't.     It  couldn't  be." 

"  Of  course,  that  is  just  what  it  is.     Ours  looked 


An  Evening  of  Music  349 

exactly  that  way  when  it  came,  and  if  you'll  come 
here  and  look  on  this  side  of  the  box  you  will  see 
the  name  of  the  manufacturer  stamped  on  it." 

Nan  sank  down  on  the  floor  and  covered  her  face 
with  her  hands=  "I  won't  believe  it,  I  won't,  I 
won't,"  she  said.  "  Nobody  would  do  such  a  thing 
for  me.  Nobody  would." 

"  Here,  let  me  get  a  hatchet  and  I'll  soon  show 
you,"  said  Ran,  going  toward  the  kitchen. 

"What  is  the  matter,  Nan?  Have  you  hurt 
yourself  ?  "  asked  Miss  Sarah,  coming  out  into  the 
hall. 

"I'm  so  excited  it  hurts,"  she  replied,  look- 
ing up  with  the  unopened  note  clasped  close  to 
her  breast. 

Ran  returned  with  the  hatchet  and  they  all  gathered 
around.  One  by  one  the  boards  fell  away,  then  the 
packing  was  revealed,  and  then,  indeed,  the  shining 
surface  of  a  dear  little  upright  piano  came  to  view. 

At  sight  of  it  Nan  sobbed  hysterically,  as  she 
looked  from  one  to  another.  "Is  it  mine?  Are  you 
sure  it  is  mine  ?  "  she  asked. 

"Why  don't  you  read  what's  in  that  note  and 
find  out  ?  "  said  Aunt  Sarah. 

Nan  opened  the  note  and  read:  "  A  merry  Christ- 
mas to  you,  my  dear  granddaughter.  May  you  enjoy 
the  piano  as  much  as  I  enjoy  giving  it.  We  have 


The  Four  Corners 

some  little  presents  for  you  all,  so  come  over,  every 
one  of  you,  and  get  them. 

"  Your  loving  grandmother, 

"GRACE  HELENA  CORNER." 

"It  is!  It  is!"  cried  Nan  ecstatically.  "Grand- 
mother has  sent  it  to  me,  and  she  wants  us  all  to 
come  over  and  get  more  presents." 

"  Where's  the  cake  ?  "  cried  Jack. 

"  Get  the  wreaths,"  said  Jean. 

"Here,  here,"  said  Aunt  Sarah,  "get  this  stuff 
cleared  away  first.  Come,  all  of  you.  We  must 
get  this  piano  out  of  the  hall."  So  they  tarried  long 
enough  to  see  the  piano  in  place  and  then  with  the 
cake  in  a  basket,  the  wreaths  on  their  arms  and  the 
palm  carefully  protected  from  the  too  sharp  winds, 
they  trooped  forth  to  Uplands. 

Nan  was  the  first  to  rush  into  the  house.  She 
fell  on  her  knees  before  her  grandmother  and  buried 
her  head  in  her  lap.  "How  could  you,  how  could 
you  do  such  a  lovely  thing?"  she  gasped  out.  "I 
don't  deserve  it.  Oh,  grandmother,  if  you  had 
searched  the  world  over,  you  couldn't  have  given 
me  anything  I  wanted  more." 

"  That's  what  I  thought,"  said  Mrs.  Corner. 

"I  can't  thank  you,"  said  Nan.  "  There  aren't 
enough  words  in  the  Century  Dictionary  to  do  it." 

Her  grandmother  laughed.     "  Take  this  excitable, 


An  Evening  of  Music  35 l 

grateful  creature  into  the  other  room,  Helen,"  she 
said.  "  You'll  have  to  chain  her  down,  I'm  afraid,  or 
she'll  take  wings.  She  is  ready  to  fly  now."  Nan 
followed  her  aunt  to  where  the  other  children  had 
been  already  summoned.  For  each,  except  Nan,  her 
Aunt  Helen  had  a  pretty  book  such  as  she  knew 
would  most  appeal  to  the  various  tastes.  For  each, 
except  Nan  their  grandmother  had  stuff  for  a  new 
frock.  The  material  for  Nan's  came  instead  of  a 
book  from  her  Aunt  Helen. 

Then  the  cake  was  presented  receiving  all  the 
praise  it  deserved.  "It  was  a  sweet,  thoughtful 
thing  for  you  to  do,"  said  Mrs.  Corner  evidently 
gratified.  "  And  it  is  my  favorite  cake.  Did  you 
know  that?" 

"Jack  found  out  that  it  was,"  Nan  told  her. 

The  wreaths  then  were  hung  up  and  the  palm 
given  to  Aunt  Helen. 

"But,  Nan,  darling,"  said  her  aunt,  "I  know 
you  have  given  me  your  own  palm,  and  that  you 
are  very  fond  of  it,  for  you  have  often  spoken  of  it 
to  me." 

"Do  you  think  I  would  give  you  something  I 
didn't  like  when  I  love  you  so  much?"  said  Nan, 
indignantly,  and  Aunt  Helen  said  not  another  word 
of  protest. 

After  the  children  had  gone,  Mrs.  Corner  sat  look- 


35 2  The  Four  Corners 

ing  thoughtfully  into  the  fire,  a  smile  upon  her  face. 
"Next  year,"  she  said,  "  I  shall  have  all  my  grand- 
children here  to  dinner.  Mary  will  come  too.  She 
will,  won't  she,  Helen  ?  " 

"I  am  sure  she  will,"  said  Miss  Helen. 

"  It  will  be  a  great  pleasure  to  have  all  Jack's 
family  at  Uplands,"  continued  Mrs.  Corner  sighing. 
"I  am  glad  we  came  back,  Helen." 


CHAPTER  XIX 
FIRE! 

A  LITTLE  after  the  first  of  the  year  Daniella  and  her 
mother  were  on  their  way  to  Texas.  Daniella's  de- 
parture was  not  made  without  tears  and  vows  of 
eternal  friendship.  "If  I  can't  write  very  well  yet," 
she  said,  "  I'll  try,  and  somebody  kin  tell  me  how 
to  spell  the  words." 

"We'll  all  write,"  the  four  girls  promised,  "and 
some  day  we  shall  expect  to  see  you  again." 

"  Where?"  asked  Daniella  eagerly. 

"We  don't  know  just  where,"  returned  Nan, 
"but  one  never  knows  what  will  happen  in  this 
world,  Aunt  Sarah  says,  and  so  I  am  going  to  say 
we  will  meet  again."  It  always  pleased  Nan  to 
anticipate  the  improbable. 

They  all  went  to  the  station  to  see  the  Boggs's 
off,  and,  as  the  train  moved  out,  they  saw  a  pair  of 
tearful  eyes  at  the  car  window,  and  that  was  the 
last  of  Daniella  for  many  a  day.  Both  she  and  her 
mother  had  been  comfortably  provided  for  through 
many  contributions  of  clothing  and  money,  so  they 
did  not  go  away  empty-handed. 


356  The  Four  Corners 

"  Well,"  said  Nan  with  a  long  sigh  as  they 
watched  the  smoke  from  the  train  drift  toward  the 
mountains,  "I  am  glad  we  can  think  of  them  some- 
where else  than  in  that  lonely  little  cabin  up  there." 

"It  is  a  comfort,"  said  Mary  Lee,  "  but  1  really 
shall  miss  Daniella  very  much,  and  hasn't  she 
learned  a  lot  since  that  time  we  found  her,  a  wild, 
little  scary  thing  in  the  mountains  ?  " 

"  Aunt  Helen  says  there  are  all  sort  of  possibilities 
in  Daniella,  if  she  ever  gets  any  sort  of  a  chance." 

"She  won't  get  much  on  a  ranch,"  returned  Mary 
Lee. 

"  Who  knows  ?"  said  Nan  thoughtfully. 

Nan's  music  lessons  commenced  before  the  holi- 
days were  over.  She  went  three  times  a  week  to 
her  Aunt  Helen,  and,  although  there  were  days  when 
instead  of  wrist  movements,  five  finger  exercises, 
and  close  legato,  she  gave  more  time  to  playing 
tunes  by  ear,  on  the  whole,  she  was  conscientious  in 
her  practicing,  and  it  took  very  few  words  to  fire 
her  ambition  or  to  make  her  appreciate  the  necessity 
of  patient  striving. 

"All  musicians  must  go  through  just  this  unin- 
teresting drudgery,"  her  aunt  would  tell  her. 
"Think,  Nan,  even  Beethoven  and  Chopin  and 
Wagner  had  to  train  their  fingers  by  these  exercises 
and  scales,  so  you  must  not  expect  to  do  less." 


Fire!  357 

Then  Nan  would  try  her  utmost  and  the  next  time 
would  show  the  improvement  naturally  following 
diligent,  painstaking  study.  It  was  fortunate  for 
her  that  Miss  Helen  knew  how  to  appeal  to  her  im- 
agination and  that  she  varied  her  talks,  upon  the  dry 
details,  with  little  anecdotes  of  the  great  masters, 
and  with  snatches  of  their  best  compositions  to  illus- 
trate what  she  was  saying,  so  that  Nan,  with  her 
knowledge  of  the  rudiments  of  music,  gained  also  a 
knowledge  of  musical  history  which  made  her  work 
much  more  interesting. 

At  this  time  Nan  and  Mary  Lee,  too,  were  fired 
with  an  ambition  to  further  improve  their  minds,  this 
following  certain  talks  with  their  Aunt  Helen,  and 
they  determined  upon  a  course  of  reading. 

"  We'll  take  Macaulay's  History  of  England,"  said 
Mary  Lee;  "  it  will  be  the  most  useful." 

The  two  girls  were  on  their  knees  before  the  old 
bookcase  which  held  mostly  old  standard  works,  and 
few  modern  books. 

"We  must  have  some  maps  and  dictionaries  and 
things,"  said  Nan,  clapping  the  covers  of  a  volume 
together  to  beat  out  the  dust.  So  with  maps  and 
books  of  reference,  they  established  themselves  in  a 
quiet  corner  upon  two  or  three  consecutive  Satur- 
days, but  at  the  end  of  the  third  Saturday,  they 
found  themselves  always  starting  with  a  sentence 


358  The  Four  Corners 

which  read:  "The  king  had-no  standing  army." 
Beyond  this,  they  never  seemed  able  to  go,  mainly 
because  the  book  to  girls  of  their  age  meant  simply 
a  very  dry  record,  and  they  found  it  more  interesting 
to  read  some  anecdote  from  one  of  the  books  of  ref- 
erence, and  to  talk  about  what  their  aunt  had  told 
them  of  England  of  the  present  day.  Therefore,  at 
last  Macaulay  was  laid  aside,  and  the  only  fact 
they  remembered  reading  from  the  book  was  that 
the  king  had  no  standing  army. 

Although  Miss  Sarah  had  never  set  foot  across  the 
brook,  she  tacitly  permitted  the  intercourse  between 
the  two  families,  and  even  admitted  that  Miss  Helen 
was  not  to  be  included  in  the  censure  which  she  so 
sweepingly  bestowed  upon  her  mother.  Of  the 
children's  grandmother,  she  would  never  speak,  and 
only  by  a  toss  of  the  head  and  a  sarcastic  smile  did 
they  know  that  she  had  not  altered  her  opinion  of 
the  elder  Mrs.  Corner.  Every  attention  or  gift  the 
girls  received  was  attributed  to  the  influence  of  Miss 
Helen,  and  Miss  Sarah  honestly  believed  that  in  her 
opinion  she  was  right. 

As  for  Miss  Helen,  she  never  came  to  her  sister-in- 
law's  house.  "  I  am  biding  my  time,"  she  told  her 
mother.  "  When  Mary  comes  back,  I  think  we  shall 
have  matters  on  a  different  footing." 

"  I'm  afraid  I  can  never  bring  myself  to  going 


Fire!  359 

there,"  sighed  Mrs.  Corner.  "  I'm  too  old  to  give  up 
all  my  prejudices,  Helen,  but  I  shall  try  to  meet  my 
son's  wife  half  way." 

"If  I  know  Mary  Gordon  Lee,"  said  Helen,  "you 
will  not  have  to  go  even  half  way." 

And  indeed  there  was  no  going  half  way  for  any- 
body, as  an  occurrence  soon  changed  everything  for 
those  who  lived  at  Uplands.  It  took  place  one 
night  when  the  winds  of  March  were  sweeping 
through  the  mountain  forests,  sighing  through  the 
pines  in  Nan's  summer  retreat,  and  uncovering  the 
young  pushing  blades,  already  started  from  the 
ground  down  by  the  brook. 

Nan,  who  was  a  light  sleeper,  was  startled  from 
her  slumbers  by  the  dashing  by  of  engines,  and  by 
hearing  cries  of  "  Firel "  She  slipped  out  of  bed  and 
drew  aside  the  curtains  to  lookout,  wondering  if  the 
barn  on  their  own  place  could  have  caught,  but  it  was 
beyond  the  brook  that  the  sky  was  red  and  the 
flames  were  mounting  high.  In  an  instant,  she 
realized  where  the  danger  was.  She  rushed  to  the 
boys'  door.  "  Ran,  Ran,"  she  cried,  banging  on  the 
door,  "  Uplands  is  on  fire!  "  She  stopped  to  pound 
on  her  Aunt  Sarah's  door.  "  Uplands  is  on  fire!  " 
she  cried.  Then  she  ran  back  to  her  own  room  and 
slipped  on  her  clothes. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  bolt  rattled  at  Ran's  door 


360  The  Four  Corners 

and  he  went  flying  down-stairs,  two  steps  at  a 
time.  Then  Aunt  Sarah  appeared  in  her  dressing 
gown.  "  What  was  it  you  were  saying,  Nan  ? " 
she  asked. 

Nan  was  at  the  window.  "Just  come  here  and 
see,"  she  said,  and  Aunt  Sarah  joined  her.  "  Good- 
ness!" she  exclaimed.  The  fire  was  burning  more 
fiercely  now,  fanned  by  the  high  winds.  They 
could  hear  the  "  Chug,  Chug  "  of  the  engines,  the 
crackle  of  the  burning,  the  hoarse  cries  of  the 
men. 

A  sob  arose  in  Nan's  throat.  "  I  can't  bear  to  look 
at  it,  and  yet  it  fascinates  me,"  she  said.  "Oh, 
Aunt  Sarah,  do  you  suppose  they  are  safe  ?  I  wish 
I  could  go  and  see." 

"Not  a  step  do  you  go,"  decided  Aunt  Sarah. 
"  I'm  going  down  to  put  some  water  to  boil  and  be 
on  hand  if  I'm  wanted.  You'd  better  go  back  to 
bed.  The  others  are  all  fast  asleep  and  that's  what 
you  ought  to  be." 

"  As  if  I  could  sleep,"  said  Nan.  "  Please  let  me 
come  down-stairs." 

"Come  along,  then,"  said  Aunt  Sarah.  And  Nan 
followed. 

In  a  short  time  there  was  a  sound  of  voices  out- 
side and  a  knock  at  the  door,  then  Ran  came  rush- 
ing in.  "  They  are  bringing  Mrs.  Corner  and  Miss 


Fire !  361 

Helen  here,"  he  said.  "I  told  them  to.  That  was 
right,  wasn't  it?  This  is  the  nearest  house." 

"It  was  quite  right,"  returned  Miss  Sarah,  stiffen- 
ing herself,  but  going  to  the  living-room  to  make  a 
light,  and  then  to  the  front  door,  candle  in  hand. 
"Bring  them  right  in,"  she  said,  speaking  to  the 
forms  moving  about  in  the  darkness. 

"  It  took  a  little  while  to  get  a  carriage,"  spoke  up 
one  of  the  men,  "and  the  ladies  had  to  stand  out- 
side for  a  time.  They'd  better  have  something 
warm." 

Miss  Sarah  opened  the  door  to  admit  first  Mrs. 
Corner,  helped  along  slowly  by  two  men,  and  then 
Miss  Helen.  Both  had  blankets  thrown  around 
them  over  their  night-dresses,  and  both  were  in 
their  bare  feet.  "Right  in  here,"  repeated  Miss 
Sarah. 

The  men  established  Mrs.  Corner  upon  the  old 
threadbare  sofa,  and  Miss  Helen  sank  into  a  rocking- 
chair.  Nan  had  immediately  gone  back  to  the 
kitchen  and  presently  appeared  with  two  cups  of 
steaming  coffee.  She  went  over  at  once  to  the  sofa. 
''Won't  you  drink  this,  grandmother?"  she  said. 
"It  will  do  you  good." 

"I  am  very  cold,  very  cold,"  returned  Mrs.  Corner 
weakly.  "Where  am  I?"  she  asked  as  the  sense 
of  warmth  pervaded  her. 


362  The  Four  Corners 

"  At  our  house  grandmother,"  Nan  answered. 

"  Where's  Helen  ?  "  she  asked  with  a  bewildered 
look. 

Miss  Helen  came  to  her.  "  Here  I  am,  mother 
dear,  perfectly  safe.  Drink  this  hot  coffee  and  you 
will  feel  better." 

Mrs.  Corner  took  the  coffee  obediently  and  then 
lay  back  with  closed  eyes.  Nan  threw  her  arms 
around  her  Aunt  Helen.  "Darling,"  she  said, 
"please  drink  your  coffee,  too,  before  it  gets  cold, 
and  come  over  here  by  the  stove." 

"  I'll  sit  by  mother,"  returned  Miss  Helen.  "Never 
mind  about  me." 

"But  I  do  mind  about  you,"  said  Miss  Sarah, 
standing  over  her  with  the  coffee.  "Drink  this 
right  down,  Miss  Helen."  And  Miss  Helen,  with  a 
forlorn  little  smile,  obeyed. 

"  We  must  get  your  mother  straight  to  bed,"  Miss 
Sarah  continued.  "  I'll  go  up  and  get  ready  for  her. 
Do  you  think  you  could  help  me  carry  her  up,  Ran  ?  " 
she  asked  the  boy,  who  was  standing  by. 

"Indeed  I  can! "he  answered.  And  in  a  few 
minutes  both  Mrs.  Corner  and  her  daughter  were  in 
Miss  Sarah's  own  bed,  and  that  capable  person  was 
grimly  seeing  to  their  comfort. 

Little  was  said  on  either  side,  but  after  Miss  Sarah 
had  placed  hot  bricks  to  Miss  Helen's  icy  feet,  she 


Fire!  363 

leaned  over  her  and  said:  "Now,  go  to  sleep  and 
don't  worry." 

"  But  we  are  giving  you  so  much  trouble,  Miss 
Dent,"  said  Miss  Helen,  "and  besides " 

"What  are  we  in  this  world  for? "said  Miss 
Sarah.  "And  as  for  the  rest  of  it,  you're  where 
you  ought  to  be.  1  know  what  Mary  would  want. 
All  YOU  have  to  do  is  to  get  warm  and  go  to  sleep." 
But  is  she  crossed  the  hall,  Miss  Sarah  drew  a  long 
sigh.  "I  wonder  what  next,"  she  said.  "I  sup- 
pose the  Lord  thought  He'd  teach  me  and  that  proud 
old  woman  a  lesson,  and  we're  learning  it  here  side 
by  side." 

Nan  laid  her  cheek  against  her  Aunt  Sarah's  hand. 
She  had  a  very  good  idea  of  what  a  bitter  lesson  it 
was,  and  of  how  hard  it  was  to  Aunt  Sarah  Dent  to 
offer  hospitality  to  Mrs.  Corner. 

"  You're  very  good  to  do  all  this,"  she  said,  "  and 
to  give  up  your  own  room,  Aunt  Sarah." 

"  I'll  slip  into  your  place  by  Mary  Lee,"  said  Aunt 
Sarah,  "and  you  can  get  in  with  the  twins;  theirs 
is  a  mighty  wide  old  bed.  I  wouldn't  turn  a  dog 
out  under  such  circumstances,  and  if  Grace  Corner 
can  stand  it,  I  can." 

They  were  all  at  breakfast  when  Miss  Helen  came 
down  the  next  morning.  Nan  had  laid  out  some  of 
her  mother's  clothing  for  her,  which  sat  strangely 


364  The  Four  Corners 

upon  Miss  Helen's  little  figure.  "Mother  is  sleep- 
ing," she  said,  "  and  I  would  not  disturb  her.  I  am 
afraid  she  is  a  little  feverish."  She  turned  to  Ran. 
"  Was  anything  saved,  do  you  know  ?"  she  asked. 

"  Quite  a  lot  of  furniture  and  some  of  the  pictures, 
I  believe,"  he  told  her. 

"Grandmother's  portrait,  I  hope,"  spoke  up  Nan. 

"Yes,  that  was  saved,  I  am  sure.  It  is  a  Uftle 
hard  to  know  just  what  is  safe,  for  everything  is  so 
soaked  with  water  in  the  rooms  that  were  not 
actually  burned,  that  we  can't  tell  just  yet.  Half  the 
house  is  burned  out  entirely,  only  the  walls  stand  on 
that  side." 

Miss  Helen  drew  a  long  sigh.  "  We  were  to  have 
been  very  happy  there  for  the  rest  of  our  lives,"  she 
said  plaintively. 

"  What's  become  of  Baz  ?"  asked  Jack  anxiously. 
The  children  were  much  excited  over  the  strange 
news  that  had  met  them  when  they  awoke  that 
morning. 

"  I  found  Baz  in  a  fence  corner,"  Ran  told  jack. 
"  He  was  scared  to  death  at  first  but  I  managed  to 
catch  him,  and  bring  him  over  here.  Lady  Gray 
seemed  to  recognize  him  at  once  and  they  are 
snuggled  up  in  the  box  with  Ruby." 

Jack  looked  greatly  pleased.  Her  own  had  come 
to  her  again. 


Fire !  365 

Miss  Helen  said  little.  There  were  great  circles 
around  her  eyes  and  she  was  very  pale.  After 
breakfast  she  went  to  Miss  Sarah. 

"  I  know  it  is  hard  for  you  to  have  us  here,"  she 
said,  "and  I  cannot  consent  to  giving  you  extra 
care.  I  know  how  you  must  feel." 

"  My  dear,"  said  Miss  Sarah,  "  I  have  no  right  to 
feel.  It  is  Mary's  house,  and  I  am  simply  doing  as 
I  know  she  would  wish  to  do.  I  am  not  to  be  con- 
sidered at  all  in  the  matter." 

Miss  Helen  looked  at  her  wistfully  and  Miss  Sar- 
ah's face  softened.  "  Please  don't  give  yourself 
any  anxiety,"  she  went  on.  "When  I  saw  your 
mother,  feeble  and  dependent;  when  I  saw  your 
white  hair,  Helen  Corner,  and  realized  what  the 
years  had  done  for  you,  and  that  you  were  home- 
less by  the  power  of  the  Almighty's  elements,  do 
you  think  I  did  not  understand  that  He  meant  to 
teach  me,  too,  not  to  set  up  my  puny  little  will 
against  His  ?  We  are  all  children  of  one  Father  and 
you  are  one  of  my  sisters." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Miss  Helen  gently.  "  I  under- 
stand, too,  and  I  thank  you.  Now,  please,  may  I 
tell  you  of  a  little  project  of  mine  ?  " 

Miss  Sarah  drew  up  her  chair  and  the  two  sat 
down.  "  I  have  been  thinking,"  began  Miss  Helen, 
"  that  we  could  be  very  comfortable  in  the  wing 


366  The  Four  Corners 

of  this  house.  There  are  the  two  rooms  up-stairs 
besides  the  attic  and  the  three  rooms  down-stairs, 
including  the  office  which  we  could  use  as  a 
kitchen.  Couldn't  we  move  over  such  of  our  things 
as  are  saved  from  the  fire  and  settle  there,  for  the 
present,  at  least  ?  Do  you  think  Mary  would  ob- 
ject?" 

"I  think  Mary  would  say  it  was  the  very  thing 
to  do,  if  it  suited  you." 

I  think  it  would  be  better  for  mother  to  have  a 
place  she  could  call  home.  This  is  where  she  lived 
when  she  was  first  married,  before  my  grandpar- 
ents died  and  she  went  to  Uplands.  It  is  familiar 
to  her.  She  could  be  near  the  children  and  yet 
could  have  the  quiet  which  she  is  accustomed  to. 
We  can  have  Martha  to  do  our  work  and  I  do  not 
see  that  we  could  do  better.  Then,  too,"  she 
paused  in  some  embarrassment,  "  mother  would 
want  to  pay  a  generous  rent." 

Miss  Sarah  raised  her  hand.  "That  must  be 
settled  by  you  and  Mary,"  she  said.  "As  for  the 
rest,  I  know  she  will  consent." 

"Then  will  you  send  for  Martha?  And  I  am 
sure  we  shall  be  able  to  get  settled  very  soon." 

The  result  of  this  planning  was  that  within  a 
week  Miss  Helen  and  her  mother  were  established 
in  the  old  wing.  During  the  time  of  preparation, 


Fire !  367 

Mrs.  Corner  did  not  leave  her  room,  and  seemed  still 
dazed  and  shattered,  but  was  quiet  and  docile,  sel- 
dom showing  any  evidence  of  her  old  spirit.  The 
furniture  saved  was  supplemented  by  such  new 
pieces  as  were  needed  and  it  really  was  a  cozy  little 
home  into  which  Miss  Helen  took  her  mother. 
There  was  no  lack  of  helpers.  Friends,  neighbors 
and  kinsfolk  were  only  too  ready  to  lend  their  aid, 
though  by  far  the  most  eager  were  the  boys  and 
girls  of  the  house,  who  were  willing  runners  of 
errands  and  did  much  toward  making  the  rooms 
pretty  and  cozy. 

Still,  from  the  moment  of  her  removal  from  Up- 
lands, Mrs.  Corner  failed  visibly.  She  rallied  a  little 
after  going  into  the  rooms  prepared  for  her,  and 
took  a  passing  interest  in  them,  but  it  was  only  a 
short  time  after  that  she  grew  weaker  and  at  last 
could  not  even  leave  her  bed.  "It  is  the  shock 
and  the  exposure,"  said  Dr.  Ward,  looking  grave 
when  Miss  Sarah  questioned  him.  "  1  doubt  if  she 
gets  over  this,  but  we  must  try  to  keep  Miss  Helen 
in  good  heart."  And  with  the  knowledge  that  a 
broken,  feeble  old  woman  was  nearing  the  brink  of 
the  dark  river,  the  last  vestige  of  ill-will  left  Miss 
Sarah,  and  she  was  a  tower  of  strength  to  Miss 
Helen  in  her  hour  of  trial. 

The  wind-swept,  blackened  rooms  of  the  house 


368  The  Four  Corners 

at  Uplands  gave  the  children  an  awed  feeling 
whenever  they  looked  that  way.  From  those  of 
the  rooms  which  were  not  completely  burned  out, 
the  water-soaked  furniture  had  been  removed,  ex- 
cept where,  here  and  there,  a  scorched  piece  of 
drapery  flapped  from  some  broken  window,  or  a 
charred  article  of  furniture  was  visible  through 
the  gaps  in  the  walls.  The  fire  had  started  in  a 
defective  flue  and  one  side  of  the  house  was  in 
complete  ruins. 

It  was  a  desolate  sight  to  those  who  had  known 
and  loved  its  inmates,  and  of  these  perhaps  the  chief 
mourner  was  old  Unc'  Landy  who,  in  spite  of  his 
railings  at  the  former  mistress  of  the  mansion,  now 
felt  for  her  only  pity.  "  Hit  sho  is  hard  fo'  a 
proud  uprighteous  pusson  lak  ole  miss  ter  give 
up  all  dese  yer  flesh-pots  ob  Egyp',"  he  said  to 
Nan,  "de  quails  an'  de  manna  an'  de  gol'en  calf 
what  she  been  a  hankerin'  arter  in  de  days  ob  huh 
youf.  Yas,  Lord,  yuh  done  lay  yo'  han'  mighty 
heaby  on  huh,  an'  I  suttinly  does  groan  in  spi'it 
when  I  sees  how  de  mighty  fallen.  I  sholy  does 
wrastle  wid  de  Lord  in  de  night  season  implorin' 
Him  to  hab  mercy  on  huh  po'  soul." 

Such  talk  was  awe-inspiring  to  the  children,  not 
one  of  whom  thought  of  anything  but  the  favors 
their  grandmother  had  shown  them,  and  all  of 


Fire !  369 

whom  were  ready  and  eager  to  do  the  least  thing 
they  could  to  add  to  her  comfort  or  to  their  Aunt 
Helen's. 

"  It  means  so  much  to  have  you  dear  children  so 
near,"  said  Miss  Helen  many  times  a  day.  "  I  don't 
know  what  I  should  do  without  you." 

The  March  winds  were  still  and  the  April  rains 
were  falling  gently  when  the  end  at  last  came  to 
Grandmother  Corner's  days  on  earth.  In  the  early 
evening  of  a  spring  Sabbath  she  called  clearly: 
"  Mary  Lee,  Mary  Lee!  " 

Nan  ran  for  her  sister.  "  Grandmother  wants 
you,"  she  said,  and  Mary  Lee  wondering,  hurried  in 
to  receive  no  look  of  recognition.  She  was  as  a 
stranger  to  her  grandmother. 

"  Here  is  Mary  Lee,"  said  Nan  bending  over  her. 

Mrs.  Corner  shook  her  head.  "  Mary  Lee,  Mary 
Lee,"  she  whispered. 

"It  is  your  mother  whom  she  is  calling,"  said 
Aunt  Sarah  as  the  patient  dozed  again. 

Presently  there  came  a  second  call:  "Helen, 
Helen!" 

"  I  am  here,  mother!  "  said  her  daughter. 

The  mother  opened  her  eyes  and  looked  at  the 
little  figure  by  her  side.  "You  will  be  just, 
Helen,"  she  said.  "Jack  was  my  child  as  well  as 
you,  and  his  children  must  have  what  is  right." 


370  The  Four  Corners 

"  They  shall  have  it,"  said  Miss  Helen,  laying  her 
cheek  against  her  mother's  frail-looking  hand. 

"There  was  a  will — I  forget,"  and  again  she 
dozed. 

Aunt  Sarah  spoke  to  Nan.  "  You  and  Mary  Lee 
go  now  into  the  next  room.  I  will  stay  here,  and 
if  Miss  Helen  wants  you,  I  will  call  you." 

The  dusk  was  settling  down  on  the  earth,  the 
mountains  were  dimly  seen  through  a  mist  of  rain. 
"  There  are  shadows  everywhere,"  said  Nan,  as  she 
stood  looking  out  of  the  window.  Jack  and  Jean 
were  staying  with  their  Cousin  Mag,  but  the  two 
elder  girls  had  kept  close  together  all  day. 

The  dusk  had  faded  into  twilight  when  there  was 
a  slight  movement  in  the  next  room,  then  the  girls 
heard  a  footstep  on  the  stair  and  some  one  hurried 
along  the  hallway.  They  went  to  the  door. 
"Where  is  she?  "they  heard  some  one  say,  and 
they  looked  to  see  their  Aunt  Helen  clasped  in  the 
arms  of  their  own  mother  and  heard  her  say: 
"  Oh,  Mary,  Mary,  you  are  all  I  have  left  me  now, 
you  and  the  children," 


CHAPTER  XX 
LOOKING  AHEAD 


CHAPTER  XX 
LOOKING  AHEAD 

IT  was  one  lovely  day  in  June  that  Nan  hied  her  to 
Place  o'  Pines.  She  gazed  with  a  half  smile  at  the 
old  log  of  wood  on  which  the  music  rack  was  still 
fastened.  No  need  now  to  pretend  a  piano  she  re- 
membered with  pride  and  pleasure.  She  began 
softly  to  sing  the  old  tune  but  this  time  Little 
Jamie  was  not  the  refrain,  but  that  other  one: 
Dearest  Mother. 

"The  very  nicest  thing  in  all  the  world  is  a 
mother,"  she  said  to  herself.  "  I  believe  just  as 
Dr.  Woods  said  to  Aunt  Helen  the  other  day ;  she 
made  me  say  it  over  so  I  wouldn't  forget  it:  'The 
Being  who  could  conceive  and  create  a  good  mother 
must  Himself  be  perfect  love/  " 

"  Nan,  Nan,"  came  the  voice  of  some  one  calling 
from  afar. 

Nan  started  up  and  listened,  then  she  crept  out  of 
the  opening  in  the  pines  and  ran  around  to  the 
fence,  giving  the  peculiar  call  which  the  Corner 
children  always  used  in  answering  one  another. 
"  Where  are  you  ?  "  Mary  Lee's  voice  came  nearer. 


374  The  Four  Corners 

There  was  an  excited  and  triumphant  ring  in 
it.  Evidently,  she  had  something  important  to 
tell. 

"  Here  I  am,"  said  Nan,  squeezing  herself  through 
the  fence  and  meeting  her  sister  on  the  other  side. 
''  What  do  you  want  me  for,  Mary  Lee  ?  " 

"  You  ought  just  to  hear  what  mother  and  Aunt 
Helen  and  Aunt  Sarah  have  been  talking  about; 
the  most  exciting  things.  Come  over  here  and  I'll 
tell  you."  Mary  Lee  spoke  importantly.  It  was 
generally  Nan  who  was  the  dispenser  of  news,  and 
Mary  Lee  seldom  had  the  chance  of  taking  the  role 
of  herald,  in  consequence  she  carried  herself  with 
the  little  air  of  superiority  which  Nan  generally  as- 
sumed upon  such  occasions. 

Nan  followed  her  to  a  patch  of  grass  by  the  side 
of  the  fence,  and  they  sat  down  together.  This 
summer  the  two  were  more  frequently  companions, 
for  Phil  had  suddenly  discovered  a  preference  for 
the  company  of  boys,  and  was  generally  with  Ashby 
and  Ran  pursuing  more  masculine  sports  than  Mary 
Lee  cared  to  join. 

"We're  not  likely  to  be  here  six  months  from 
now,"  Mary  Lee  began  with  a  view  to  making  a 
sensation. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  said  Nan.  startled  out  of 
a  pretended  indifference. 


Looking  Ahead  375 

"Just  what  I  say.  Of  course,  Aunt  Sarah  and 
the  boys  will  be  here  but  we  shall  not." 

' '  Oh,  Mary  Lee,  we  are  not  to  be  sent  away  to 
boarding-school,  are  we  ?  "  asked  Nan  in  a  horror- 
stricken  voice. 

Mary  Lee  hugged  her  knees  and  rocked  back  and 
forth  in  enjoyment  of  the  situation.  "No,  we're 
not  going  to  boarding-school.  Oh,  Nan,  it  will  be 
perfectly  splendid,  and  you've  always  longed  to 
travel,  you  know.  It  will  be  so  fine  to  see  oranges 
growing,  and  all  sorts  of  things,  olives  and  lemons 
and  such  oceans  of  flowers.  You  used  to  make 
such  a  fuss  over  that  one  little  palm,  and  how  you 
will  revel  in  the  things  we  shall  see." 

"  I  think  you  might  tell  me  what  you  are  talking 
about,"  said  Nan  impatiently. 

But  Mary  Lee  was  enjoying  her  unwonted  pleasure 
of  news-giving  too  much  to  let  out  all  her  infor- 
mation at  once  and  she  went  on,  "Of  course  we 
shall  not  travel  so  very  much  after  we  once  get  there 
for  it  will  be  better  that  mother  should  settle  down 
in  some  one  place  where  it  will  agree  with  her. 
Aunt  Helen  says  we  must  not  give  up  our  studies, 
and  that  you  especially  must  keep  up  your  music, 
so  we  shall  probably  take  some  little  cottage  where 
we  can  have  a  piano.  It  would  be  fun  to  have  a 
Chinese  servant,  wouldn't  it  ?  " 


376  The  Four  Corners 

Nan  was  too  quick-witted  to  let  this  hint  pass. 
"I  know  now  !"  she  cried  exultantly.  "It's  Cali- 
fornia. Now.  Mary  Lee,  don't  fool  about  it  any 
more,  but  just  begin  at  the  beginning  and  tell  me." 

Seeing  that  there  was  no  use  in  further  holding 
off,  Mary  Lee  smoothed  down  her  frock  and  began. 
"Well,  I  just  happened  to  be  on  the  porch  outside 
the  living-room  when  it  all  started,  and  I  went  in 
and  listened;  they  let  me.  It  began  by  mother's 
saying  that  the  doctor  told  her  it  would  be  perfectly 
safe  to  stay  here  during  the  summer,  but  that  when 
November  came  she  must  go  away  again.  He  said 
that  if  she  would  do  that  for  two  or  three  years  he 
was  sure  that  she  could  get  over  all  her  symptoms. 
'It  makes  my  heart  sink  when  I  think  of  being 
separated  for  even  one  more  winter  from  my  chil- 
dren, but  it  must  be  done,'  said  mother,  'and  it  is 
fortunate  that  the  boys  want  to  come  back  and  that 
I  shall  be  able  to  cover  my  expenses.' 

"Then  Aunt  Helen  spoke  up.  ' Don't  say  any- 
thing about  expenses,  Mary,'  she  said;  '  you  know 
it  was  mother's  wish  that  the  estate  should  be 
divided,  and  though  she  did  not  sign  that  last  will, 
I  consider  it  just  as  binding  as  if  she  had  done  it.' 
Oh,  Nan,  she  said  she  meant  to  have  grandmother's 
first  will  set  aside  so  we  could  have  our  share  law- 
fully." 


Looking  Ahead  377 

"That  is  just  like  Aunt  Helen,"  said  Nan. 
"Goon." 

"Then  they  talked  about  that  for  a  little  while 
and  said  a  lot  about  lawyers  and  trustees  and 
things  I  didn't  understand,  then  Aunt  Helen  said, 
'  What  do  you  think  of  California  for  a  winter, 
Mary?' 

"  'But  it  is  so  far,'  said  mother,  'and  it  is  such  an 
expensive  trip.  I  should  like  it  better  than  the  Adi- 
tondacks,  but  for  the  distance.  But  I  couldn't  be  so 
far  from  my  children.  Of  course,' she  said,  'you 
and  Aunt  Sarah  would  be  here,  and  that  would  be  a 
great  comfort.' 

'"I  didn't  mean  for  you  to  go  alone,'  Aunt  Helen 
said;  'I  meant  that  the  children  and  I  would  go, 
too.' 

"Mother  turned  right  around  and  put  her  hand  on 
Aunt  Sarah's.  'But  what  would  my  dear  auntie 
do  ? '  she  asked. 

"  '  Don't  mind  me,'  Aunt  Sarah  said.  '  I'll  manage. 
If  you  want  to  close  the  house,  I'll  go  to  Henry 
Dent's  or  somewhere,  but  if  you'd  rather  keep  it 
open  I  should  like  mighty  well  to  stay  right  here 
and  look  after  those  boys,  and  perhaps  I  could  get 
a  couple  more  to  come  in,  so  it  would  keep  me 
interested  and  occupied.' 

"Then  I  spoke  right  up,  Nan." 


378  The  Four  Corners 

"  What  did  you  say  ?"  asked  Nan,  eagerly. 

"I  said,  'Oh,  do  let  Aunt  Sarah  stay,  mother,  for 
who  would  take  care  of  old  Pete,  and  what  would 
Lady  Gray  and  Baz  and  Ruby  do  without  any 
family,  and  then  there's  Unc'  Landy  and  the  pig  and 
the  chickens.'  Then  they  all  laughed,  though  I 
don't  know  why  and  mother  said:  '  That  settles  it, 
Mary  Lee.  If  Aunt  Sarah  wants  to  take  such  a  large 
family  under  her  wing,  I  am  sure  I  have  no  ob- 
jection.' 

"  Then  Aunt  Helen  said :  '  I've  only  one  thing  to 
say,  Mary.  If  Miss  Sarah  is  to  undertake  all  this,  I 
hope  you  will  feel  that  you  have  enough  to  let  her 
have  all  she  can  make  out  of  her — her '  " 

"  Her  experiment, "  suggested  Nan  who  had  a  more 
ready  vocabulary  than  Mary  Lee. 

"I  think  she  said  'undertaking,'"  said  Mary  Lee, 
not  to  be  corrected.  "  Then  I  said:  '  Are  we  really 
going  to  California,  Aunt  Helen  ? '  And  she  said,  '  I 
should  like  to  think  so.  It  all  rests  with  your 
mother.  I  have  always  wanted  to  go  there  and  I 
can't  bear  to  be  parted  from  you  all,  so  why  can't 
we  go  together?'  Then  she  asked  mother  what 
she  thought  about  it." 

"She  said  yes,  of  course,"  put  in  Nan. 

Mary  Lee  nodded.  "  Uhm — hm.  She  did  in- 
deed, and  I  got  up  and  just  yelled,  and  then  I  told 


Looking  Ahead  379 

them  I  was  going  hot-foot  to  find  you,  and  I  left 
them  there  still  talking  about  it." 

"Oh,  do  let's  go  back  and  hear  the  particulars," 
said  Nan.  "  Isn't  it  perfectly  wildly  exciting  ?  Did 
you  ever  believe  such  a  thing  could  happen  to  us  ? 
To  think  we  are  all  going.  I  wonder  when  we 
shall  start,  and  where  we  shall  go,  I  mean  the  exact 
place.  To  think  of  living,  really  living  there. 
Come,  let's  find  out  more." 

They  went  racing  toward  the  house  and  burst  in 
upon  the  three  ladies  still  absorbed  in  making  plans. 
"Are  we  really  going  to  California?"  asked  Nan, 
excitedly.  "When  shall  we  start?  What  place  is 
our  cottage  to  be  in  ?  May  I  take  some  of  my 
books  ?  What  trunk  shall  I  use  ?  " 

All  three  smiled.  "Gently,  Nan,  gently,"  said 
her  mother.  "  We  are  not  going  to-morrow,  and 
there  will  be  plenty  of  time  to  decide  on  trunks  be- 
fore October." 

Nan  drew  a  long  sigh,  and  went  to  sit  down  by 
her  Aunt  Helen.  "Fairy  godmother,"  she  said, 
"the  Poppy  fairy  never  brought  me  this  dream. 
Just  wave  your  wand,  please,  and  make  me  see  it 
all." 

"  We  shall  go  to  Southern  California,"  said  Miss 
Helen,  drawing  Nan  close  to  her,  "  probably  to  San 
Diego  or  Pasadena.  We  shall  travel  a  little  at  first 


380  The  Four  Corners 

and  decide  upon  the  best  place  for  your  mother, 
then  we  \vill  take  a  little  cottage,  hire  a  piano,  have 
some  books,  engage  a  teacher  for  you  girls,  and  set- 
tle down  to  enjoy  our  winter." 

"  Do  let's  have  a  Chinese  servant." 

"Perhaps  we  can  try  one." 

"  And  we  can  have  a  garden  ?" 

"If  we  can  find  a  house  with  one  attached.  I 
think  it  is  extremely  probable  that  we  will  have  one. 
A  little  cottage  of  about  six  or  eight  rooms  will  be 
large  enough,  I  think,  and,  if  we  can,  we  will  have 
a  garden  where  the  geraniums  will  grow  so  high 
that  they  will  shade  our  second  story  windows,  and 
where  roses  will  bloom  in  January.  We  will  not  be 
too  far  from  orange  groves  and  olive  orchards  nor 
too  distant  from  the  city,  and  we  must  be  near 
enough  to  slip  over  into  Mexico  and  to  have  the 
Pacific  ocean  for  a  neighbor.  We  shall  hear 
Spanish  spoken,  and  the  ancient  missions  will  give 
an  old  world  air  to  our  surroundings.  We  shall  be 
where  your  mother  will  gain  strength  and  health, 
and  where  you  will  have  the  opportunity  of  learning 
all  sorts  of  new  things,  where  I  shall  try  to  forget 
many  sad  things  of  my  old  life,  and  shall  feel  that  1 
have  a  sister  and  her  children  to  make  me  content 
and  give  me  a  new  peace.  Do  you  like  the  picture, 
West  Corner  ?  " 


Looking  Ahead  381 

"  It  is  beautiful.  Now  it  all  seems  real.  I  can 
see  everything,  dearest,  it's  lovely.  Just  one  thing 
more:  How  do  we  go?" 

"I  think  we  shall  take  the  southern  route  and 
come  back  by  some  other." 

"  You  mean Just  which  way  is  the  southern 

route  ?  " 

"Down  through  New  Orleans,  Texas,  and  a  bit 
of  Mexico,  then  up  through  Southern  California. 
Coming  back,  we  will  go  through  upper  California 
and  perhaps  come  home  through  the  Canadian 
Rockies,  but  we  will  decide  that  when  the  time 
comes." 

Nan  drew  a  long  sigh  of  satisfaction.  "  It  is  just 
too  lovely  for  words.  I  may  tell  it,  may  I  ?  It's  all 
going  to  really  happen  ?" 

"So  far  as  any  one  can  say  a  thing  will  really 
happen.  Of  course,  if  any  one  should  go  prowling 
around  at  night  in  strange  places  and  break  an  arm 
or  leg  and  so  detain  us,  we  all  could  not  go." 

Nan  fell  upon  her  aunt  with  playful  beatings  of 
her  fist  in  punishment  of  this  speech.  "  It  won't  be 
me,  at  any  rate,"  she  declared.  "  I'm  going  to  hunt 
up  the  kiddies  now  before  Mary  Lee  gets  hold  of 
them  to  tell  them." 

Mary  Lee  had  already  flown  to  Cousin  Mag's 
with  the  news  and  Nan  was  free  to  be  first  dis- 


382  The  Four  Corners 

penser  of  it  to  the  twins.  She  was  but  a  little  way 
from  the  house  when  Jean  met  her,  running,  and 
wiping  away  tears  with  two  grimy  fists.  ' '  Whither 
away,  my  little  maid  ? "  cried  Nan,  catching  her. 
"Where's  Jack?" 

"Oh,  Nan,"  said  Jean,  "come,  come  crick;  Jack 
is  in  the  pig-pen  and  the  pig  is  screaling  awfully." 

"Why  in  the  world  did  Jack  want  to  get  into  the 
pig-pen  with  the  pig? "asked  Nan.  "Did  she 
want  to  maky  piggy  '  screal '  ?  " 

"No,  she  fell  in.  Come,  get  her  out,  please, 
Nan." 

Nan  followed  Jean  to  the  scene  of  the  disaster, 
but,  by  the  time  they  reached  there,  Jack  had  man- 
aged to  get  out  by  her  own  efforts,  though  she  was 
a  sight  to  behold.  "Goodness,  child!"  exclaimed 
Nan,  "you  are  a  mess.  What  have  you  been  do- 
ing ?  Here,  come  along  with  me.  Don't  touch  me. 
Unclean!  Unclean!  Fee- ugh!  how  does  the  pig 

stand  that  kind  of  sachet  ?  Go  on  ahead No, 

keep  behind.  I  don't  notice  it  so  much,  then.  Fol- 
low, follow."  She  ran  on  ahead  until  she  reached 
the  brook,  whose  waters  were  warmed  by  the  June 
sunshine.  "Off  with  your  shoes  and  jump  right 
in,"  she  cried  to  Jack;  "into  that  nice  little  smooth 
pool  where  the  sun  is  shining.  You  are  the  pilgrim 
in  'Pilgrim's  Progress,'"  she  went  on,  "and  I  see 


Looking  Ahead  383 

that  the  dirt  of  the  Slough  of  Despond  is  upon  thee, 
but  that  slough  is  the  beginning  of  the  sorrows  that 
do  attend  those  that  go  on  in  that  way.  Hear  me,  I 
am  older  than  thou;  thou  art  like  to  meet  within 
the  way  that  thou  goest,  Wearisomeness,  Pain, 
Hunger,  Perils,  Nakedness,  Sword,  Lions,  Dragons, 
Darkness " 

"Oh,  Nan,"  wailed  Jack,  "don't  scare  me  any 
more  than  I  was  scared.  The  pig's  little  wicked 
eyes  looked  at  me  so  fierce  and  he  grunted  and 
grunted  and  tossed  up  his  nose." 

"  Like  Tiny  in  the  song  Aunt  Sarah  sings.  Never 
mind,  dear,  1  was  only  quoting  '  Pilgrim's  Progress,' 
and  you  mustn't  be  scared.  Piggy  Wee  shan't  eat 
little  Jack  Corner.  Jump,  jump,  jump,  froggy. 
There  you  go.  Splash  about  and  I'll  run  home  for 
some  dry  things  while  you  are  soaking  off  the 
worst." 

It  was  pleasant  and  warm  in  the  sun  and  Jack 
splashed  about  manfully,  rather  enjoying  it,  until 
Nan  returned  with  the  dry  clothes  in  which  she  was 
invested  after  being  stripped  of  the  foul  garments 
and  washing  herself  well  in  the  pool  into  which 
Nan  poured  a  quantity  of  ammonia. 

"Now  you  are  clothed  in  the  King's  robes,"  said 
Nan,  continuing  her  simile  of  the  pilgrim.  "  1  think 
you'll  do.  We'll  leave  these  earth-stained  garments 


384  The  Four  Corners 

to  sweeten  in  the  sun  and  you  can  tell  me  how  it  all 
happened." 

"  I  wanted  to  help  Piggy  Wee  to  get  some  parings 
that  had  fallen  outside.  I  was  climbing  up  and 
throwing  them  over  when  I  slipped  and  fell  in  and 
he  didn't  like  it,"  said  Jack,  mournfully.  "  It  was 
real  ungrateful  of  him,  too,  for  I  was  doing  it  for 
his  sake  and  he  squealed  and  did  his  ears  funny  and 
looked  like  he  wanted  to  gobble  me  up." 

"Somebody  will  gobble  him  up  some  day,"  said 
Nan,  comfortingly,  "  for  he  will  have  to  be  killed  in 
the  fall  and  made  into  sausage  meat  for  ground-hog 
day.  Now  let  me  tell  you  something  perfectly 
lovely  that  will  make  you  forget  all  about  pigs. 
Come,  Jean!  Ah,  Jean! "  for  this  one  of  the  twins 
had  wandered  further  up  the  brookside. 

With  one  of  the  little  girls  each  side  of  her,  Nan 
poured  forth  her  news  as  they  sat  by  the  purling 
little  stream.  She  had  two  absorbed  listeners  who 
at  first  thought  she  was  telling  them  a  make-believe 
story,  but  she  ended  by  assuring  them  that  it  was 
every  word  true  and  concluded  by  saying:  "So 
now,  my  sweet  pilgrims,  we  shall  soon  be  going  to 
the  Delectable  Land  where  there  will  be  no  pig-pen 
to  fall  in  and  where  we  can  sit  under  orange  trees 
and  eat  oranges  all  day." 

For   a   time,  the  children   gave  themselves  up 


Looking  Ahead  38$ 

to  pleasant  dreams.  Overhead  the  leaves  softly 
whispered,  at  their  feet  sang  the  little  brook  ;  in  the 
distance  Unc'  Landy  was  crooning  an  old  camp- 
meeting  hymn.  "I'm  sure,  after  all,  it's  pleasant 
enough  here,"  said  Jack,  breaking  the  silence. 

Nan  raised  her  eyes  to  the  charred  ruins  of  Up- 
lands' house  rearing  themselves  upon  the  hill  op- 
posite. She  drew  a  long  breath.  "If  as  much 
happens  next  year  as  has  happened  this,"  she  said, 
"  I  don't  know  what  I  shall  do.  I  feel  as  if  I 
had  grown  three  feet  and  that  all  the  little  shelves 
in  my  brain  where  I  store  away  things  were  piling 
up  so  fast  that  it  will  be  necessary  to  build  an 
extra  room  pretty  soon." 

Jack  laughed.  "  You  do  say  such  funny  things, 
Nan." 

"  So  do  you,"  returned  Nan.  "There  come  Mary 
Lee  and  the  boys.  Let's  go  meet  them." 

They  passed  by  the  little  gardens  where  the  boys 
had  lent  a  hand  in  spading  and  hoeing.  The 
young  green  of  shoots  appeared  above  the  brown 
earth ;  green  peas  were  filling  in  their  pods,  beans 
were  climbing  their  poles ;  even  the  asparagus  bed 
was  started,  and  on  the  currant  bushes  hung 
bunches  of  green  currants.  Giant  Pumpkin  Head  had 
begun  to  stretch  his  lusty  limbs  outside  Place  o'  Pines. 
Tc  Nan's  fancy,  he  was  guardian  of  the  place. 


386  The  Four  Corners 

"  I  am  glad  we  aren't  going  away  in  summer," 
she  said,  observing  all  the  familiar  things.  "I'm 
glad,  too,"  she  went  on,  "  that  the  boys  have  to  be 
here  several  years  longer,  so  it  isn't  as  if  we 
shouldn't  come  back  to  just  the  same  things." 

"We  shan't  come  back  to  the  old  fence,"  said 
Jean;  "that's  gone." 

"  And  a  good  riddance  that  was.  Aunt  Helen 
says  next  thing  the  house  must  be  painted,  but  I 
don't  know  that  I  want  it  to  be,"  said  Nan  half 
regretfully;  "  it  won't  seem  like  our  own  old  dingy 
dear  home.  I  don't  like  spick  and  span  things 
always." 

"  I  am  sure  the  sofa  looks  fine  in  its  new  cover," 
said  Jean. 

"  Yes,  but  you  have  to  keep  your  feet  off  it,"  said 
Jack,  resentfully. 

There  was  a  sober  look  on  Ran's  face  as  he  came 
up  with  the  other  two  boys  and  Mary  Lee. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  our  good  news?"  said 
Nan. 

"I  don't  think  it  is  very  good  news,"  he  re- 
plied. 

"You  don't?  Why  not?"  asked  Nan,  opening 
wide  her  eyes. 

"  Because  we  shall  miss  you  all  so  awfully 
when  we  come  back  next  year,  and  the  house  is 


Looking  Ahead  387 

going  to  be  painted,  too,  so  it  won't  seem  a  bit  the 
same." 

"That's  just  what  I've  been  saying,"  Nan  told 
him.  "Oh,  well,"  she  added,  philosophically,  "I 
suppose  we  shall  get  used  to  it,  and  will  forget 
that  the  house  ever  was  no  color.  You'll  get  used 
to  doing  without  us,  too,  and  think  what  a  lot  we 
shall  have  to  tell  when  we  get  back." 

Ran  still  looked  gloomy.  It  did  not  add  to  the 
pleasure  of  his  thoughts  to  feel  that  the  girls  would 
outdo  him  in  experiences.  "I  mean  to  go  to 
Europe  when  I  finish  college,"  he  said. 

"  But  first,"  said  Nan,  "you're  going  home,  so  I 
don't  see  but  that  we  are  the  first  ones  to  be  left 
behind,  Mr.  Longface.  Cheer  up,  cheer  up,  we've 
a  whole  week  yet  before  the  holidays  begin. 
Let's  all  go  for  a  ride  up  the  mountain ;  it's  just  the 
day  for  it." 

An  hour  later  the  seven  had  turned  their  faces 
toward  the  steadfast  mountains  upon  which  no 
changes  were  ever  wrought. 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIO^ 


A    000  071  320    6 


